Heart of the Crown
by Fae'sFlower
Summary: Elphaba was attending Shiz University for only two months before being invited to meet the Wizard, who has a life-altering proposition for her. An unintended consequence of this is her suffering haunting visions of an old foe threatening to return, but what's real, and what's an illusion? Fiyeraba. WINNER 3rd place BEST FIYERABA and BEST OVERALL FIC in 2019 Greg Awards.
1. An Honor

**Hello, all! Happy New Year! Welcome back to another multichap. I wanted to finish writing all 24 chapters before posting. Now that I finished, it's time to share with the world.**

* * *

Elphaba Thropp quickly walked down the corridors of Crage Hall, a slight, uncharacteristic pep in her step. As soon as she entered her dorm room, her roommate practically bounced on top of her.

"Well?" her roommate, Galinda Upland, asked. "What happened?"

The green girl calmly walked past the blonde girl to her desk and put her bag down. "What are you talking about, Galinda?"

"I saw you go into Morrible's office after history class. She must have called you there, since no one goes into her office without her summoning them, unless they have a death wish. You clearly made it out alive, unless… you're a _ghost_!"

Elphaba rolled her eyes. "I'm not a ghost, Glin."

The blonde narrowed her eyes and pinched her friend's arm.

"Ouch!" Elphaba exclaimed, rubbing her arm. "What was _that_ for?"

"Just checking. So what did she want from you?"

The green girl let out a slow sigh. "She had a letter for me."

"A letter? From who?"

"The Emerald City."

"Elphie, I'm pretty sure the city itself didn't write you a letter," Galinda huffed. "Who do you know in the Emerald City?"

"No one. The letter was from… The Wizard."

" _The_ Wizard?" the blonde asked with a gasp.

The green girl nodded, slowly taking a large, green envelope out of her bag. "Yes."

The blonde squealed and reached for the letter, but Elphaba pulled it out of her reach. It was _her_ letter, after all.

"What does it say?"

"He wants to meet me."

The blonde squealed again and happily wrapped her arms around her best friend. "Oh, Elphie! I'm so happy for you! This is such a huge honor!"

"Yeah," Elphaba smiled. She was still clearly in a daze. It wasn't a secret to the blonde that the Wizard was one of her biggest heroes.

"Does he say why?"

"No. He just says that Madame Morrible told him all about me and he wishes to meet and speak to me."

"He could make you his Magic Grand Vizier!"

"His what?"

"Oh, Elphie, don't deny that you're talented."

"I have magical powers that burst out when I get emotional. I would hardly call that 'talent'."

"But once you learn to hone your magic, you could be so powerful. The Wizard knows power and talent when he hears it, and that's why he wants to meet you."

"He's not going to give me that job right now."

"Oh, of course not, Elphie. He'll want you to graduate first. You might have to change your major to Applied Magic Studies, though."

"Change my major? I never even _declared_ my major."

"Minor details," the blonde said with a dismissive wave of her hand. "When do you leave?"

"Next Friday. My audience with him is Saturday afternoon and I come back on Sunday evening." She paused briefly before adding. "Actually, there are two round-trip tickets in here. I can bring a friend."

The blonde's eyes lit up. "You mean…"

"Would you come with me to the Emerald City, Glin?"

Another squeal emanated from the blonde's lips and she wrapped her arms around her friend once again. "Really?! Oh, yes, Elphie! I'd love to! Thank you! Thank you so much!" The blonde began chattering all about what she was going to wear and all the sights she wanted to see, but Elphaba was focused on one thing only.

What was she going to say to the Wizard?

* * *

The library was Elphaba's favorite place on campus. Not just because it was quiet, but also because it had many hidden places and corners she could sneak off to when she needed some time to herself, or if she wanted to hide. During her first few weeks at Shiz, she had claimed a small corner in the upstairs stacks to get some studying done, especially since her room wasn't the friendliest place. The librarian had seen her there so much that she had offered her a job, which the green girl readily accepted. It meant that she would be working at the front desk, helping students find books and checking them out, and wouldn't have as much time in her private corner.

Currently, she was restacking books. She pulled the cart behind her as she walked through the shelves, making sure they were all in alphabetical order. She was almost finished when she heard someone clear their throat behind her and jumped in surprise, dropping the book in her hands. But what surprised her even more was to see Fiyero Tigulaar standing in front of her.

"Hi," he said, giving her a lopsided grin.

"Uh… hi," she said slowly, bending down to pick up the book, but Fiyero got it before she did.

"Here."

"Oh. Thanks." She returned the book to its proper place on the shelf. "Can I… help you with something?"

"I was actually looking for you."

"You were?" Elphaba blinked, pushing her glasses up her nose. "Why?"

"I wanted to know if you wanted to come to the café with me."

Elphaba regarded the Vinkun crown prince. True, they were friends, or well, friends _by default_. They had no choice to become friends since Galinda made sure that her then-boyfriend and best friend were practically always by her side together. The two had dated for a few weeks, but the blonde broke it off last week, claiming that she could feel that it wasn't working out.

"It's easier to break things off early than to stay in a non-working relationship," the blonde had said, accepting another tissue from the green girl and tossing a piece of chocolate into her mouth.

Fiyero blinked at Elphaba, waiting for an answer. He didn't realize he was holding his breath until Elphaba slapped him on the back, telling him to breathe before he passed out.

"Alright," she breathed, and so did Fiyero. "I'm almost done. I just need to finish putting away these books and grab my things from the front desk and we can go."

"I'll help," the prince offered, taking a few books and walking away through the shelves.

The green girl smiled softly as she quickly finished putting away the books and returned the cart to its proper place. She found Fiyero already waiting for her at the desk. She grabbed her bag before saying goodbye to the librarian, Madame Nodds, and she and the prince left the library.

"So," she said softly as they sat down with mugs of hot chocolate. It was early November, and it was starting to get chilly.

"So," he replied, stirring the foam. "How's your library job going?"

"Good. I like it. I'm just surprised she offered me the job to a first-year; especially _me_. It's a lot of work, but it's really fun."

"Fun?" the prince chuckled.

"I know we have two completely different ideas of fun, Fiyero."

"Yeah, you're right. Have you decided on your major yet?"

"I can't decide between Ozian Literature and Political Science. Both of them are fascinating topics. But I wouldn't get a job in either of them, though."

The prince knew very little of Elphaba's life in Munchkinland. He just knew the basics; that she was sent to Shiz to take care of her sister and that once they graduate, she'll return to Munchkinland to take care of her for the rest of her life. He had tried to ask her about it before, but she would remain tight-lipped. Instead, she would always change the subject to talking about him, and while the prince loved to talk about himself, he never understood why Elphaba never talked about her home life. He just understood that it was an off-limits topic and never asked her again.

"What about you?"

"History and Political Science. A crown prince has gotta do what a crown prince has gotta do."

Elphaba chuckled softly.

"So… I heard you were invited to see the Wizard," he added, finishing his drink.

She promptly choked on hers. "Excuse me?"

"The Wizard wants to meet you."

"How do you know?"

"We both know how I know."

The green girl sighed and rested her forehead on the table. "Galinda. That girl couldn't keep a secret if her life depended on it."

"It was a secret?"

"No. I just… didn't want the whole school to know." She paused as she slowly lifted her head, her eyes wide. "You don't think she told Nessa already, do you?"

"I don't think Galinda wants you to _kill_ her, Elphaba."

Elphaba frowned as she stood. "I have to talk to my sister."

"Elphaba –"

"I'll see you later," she said, giving him a small smile before rushing out.

The prince watched her go as she hurried out of the café. He didn't even get to say what he really wanted to talk about… or even properly congratulate her.

Elphaba hurried to the science building just as her sister's biology class let out. As the class let out, most of the students who noticed Elphaba immediately recoiled. A few of them stopped to stare at her, and others began whispering behind their hands.

The green girl did her best to ignore them. After all, there wasn't much she could do about it. People were bound to always whisper about her. She was used to it by now. Did it hurt; yes, but she was used to it.

She waited patiently for her sister to wheel out of the class. The younger Thropp immediately smiled when she saw her sister. "Hi, Fabala."

"Hi, Nessa. Ready to go?" Elphaba asked.

"Sure," the brunette nodded, and the green girl stepped behind her sister's chair and pushed her into the crisp air.

"I wanted to talk to you about something," Elphaba said as Nessa searched her bag for her room key.

"What is it?" she asked, finally finding the key and unlocking the door to the room she shared with Madame Morrible.

Elphaba waited until they were in her sister's room and the door closed behind them. "Morrible called me into her office today. Apparently, I… received this," she said, sitting down next to her and pulling the letter out of her bag.

"It's… green."

"It's from The Wizard."

" _The_ Wizard?"

"That's exactly what Galinda said," Elphaba said with a light chuckle, then sobered.

"Well… what's it about? What does it say?"

Instead of answering, Elphaba just handed her sister the letter, who gently opened the envelope and pulled the letter out as if it were a priceless artifact.

"Wow," she whispered once she finished reading it. "The Wizard wants to meet you! He asked for you by name! That's amazing, Fabala!"

"He doesn't say what he wants to talk to me about."

"You don't think…"

"What?"

"Madame Morrible wrote to him about your… _gift_ ," she said. Even after all these years, she still had trouble talking about Elphaba's magic. "And that's why?"

"Maybe. Or maybe he wants to degreenify me."

Nessa didn't know how to respond to that, so she simply looked at the letter again. "Maybe," she finally whispered. "When do you leave?"

"Next Friday. My audience is Saturday afternoon, and I'll return on Sunday evening."

"I'm very proud of you, Fabala. And I know Father will be, too. This is such a huge honor."

"You don't mind that I'll be gone the entire weekend?"

"Elphaba, it's just one weekend. I'll be fine. You can't turn down an invitation from His Ozness, especially when he personalized it."

She considered this for a moment. She really did want to meet the Wizard. This could be her chance to make good. She could be great. If she was recognized by the Wizard, people would stop pointing and staring at her. They would look up to her. Her father would finally see that she's not a failure and she would finally get the love and acceptance she had been craving her entire life.

"Alright," she finally whispered, looking at her sister with a smile. "I'll go."

"I'm so happy for you!" Nessa beamed as the two sisters shared a hug. "And Father will be ecstatic!"

"'Father' and 'ecstatic' are two words that don't go together in a sentence talking about me," Elphaba reminded her sister.

"You know what I mean. He'll be proud."

"The same goes for 'proud'."

The brunette gave her sister a look and Elphaba softened.

"But I understand and appreciate the sentiment. Thank you."

Nessa smiled and the two girls shared another hug. As Elphaba went back to her room, her letter clutched securely to her chest, she was filled with the feeling that her life was going to change.

* * *

 **Who thinks they know where this is headed? Who thinks I'm gonna throw a curve ball at them? No matter what, you'll have to wait and find out! :-D**


	2. The Emerald City

**GreenBeanBubbleQueen: We have lots more twists and turns before we're done!**

 **Miranda: Thank you for your review. I'll keep it in mind.**

* * *

"Are you sure you'll be alright without me?"

"I'll be fine, Fabala. Have fun in the Emerald City," Nessa smiled as she hugged her sister. "And I want to hear all about it when you get back."

"Of course, Nessa," Elphaba said as she gently pulled away and stood.

"Congrats, Elphaba," the young Munchkin boy standing behind her sister's chair smiled.

"Thanks, Boq."

"All aboard!" the train conductor called as the whistle blew.

Elphaba took a deep breath before reaching down and grabbing her suitcase.

"Elphaba!"

She turned around to see Fiyero running over to her. "Fiyero," she said with a soft smile.

He stopped in front of her to catch his breath before handing her a bouquet. "These are for you. Congratulations, again."

Elphaba took the flowers with a grin. Poppies, her favorite. "Thank you. They're beautiful."

The prince gave her a lopsided grin and awkwardly shifted his weight. He didn't know why he felt awkward. She liked the flowers. "Well…" he finally managed. "Good luck."

"Thanks," she blushed, squeezing her fingers around the handle of the suitcase as the conductor made the last call to board the train.

Once Galinda said her goodbyes, the two friends boarded the train together. They quickly found an empty compartment and sat down.

"Are you nervous?" Galinda asked as the train started moving.

"I'd be less nervous if I knew what this was about," Elphaba admitted, playing with the hem of her skirt. She moved to push her glasses up her nose, but stopped, remembering she was wearing her contact lenses. She had decided not to wear her glasses, hearing there were special green glasses everyone in the city had to wear to protect their eyes from the gleaming emeralds. It was only when the sun's brightness reflected off the emeralds that it was dangerous, but one could never be too careful. The blonde had been surprised at that, knowing her friend's extreme aversion to wearing her contacts.

"You'll be fine, Elphie." She pulled out a magazine of things to do in the Emerald City and was currently staring at the picture of the palace that took up two whole pages. "Oh! They have a whole row of shops! We have to go there. And to the famous emerald bagel café! And to the Emerald Fountain! There's just so much we have to do, and we only have one morning! Oh, but we just _have_ to get tickets to see ' _Wiz-O-Mania'_ Saturday evening!"

Elphaba was quieter as the train rode on. Most of her attention was directed out the window. She couldn't take her mind off of meeting the Wizard.

"And we get discounted makeovers at the Wash and Brush Up Co., the fanciest spa in Oz, if we go before your audience. That sounds Ozmazifying!" The blonde looked up and realized her friend wasn't even listening to her. "Elphie?"

"Hmm? Yes?" Elphaba asked, finally blinking out of her gaze and looking at her friend.

Galinda put the magazine aside. "I'm going to the food car. Do you want anything?"

Elphaba shook her head and watched her friend leave. As soon as she was gone, her eyes drifted to the magazine and she slowly picked it up. She skimmed through it, her eyes resting on the descriptions of all the museums in the city, and the map of the Grand Library next to the palace.

Galinda came back with a muffin and a small coffee. She couldn't help but smile when she saw her friend's nose buried in the magazine.

"We could visit the statue garden," Elphaba said, showing her friend the picture in the magazine. "And the museum of Ozian Artifacts."

"Of course, Elphie," Galinda smiling, offering her friend half of her muffin as they continued on their journey.

A little over an hour later, they arrived in the Emerald City Terminal. Having never been in a terminal before and surrounded by people, Elphaba was immediately overwhelmed, but the blonde seemed more at ease.

"It's just like a big train station," she said, leading the green girl through the crowd.

"Do you know where you're going, Glin?"

"No, but it has to be the right direction if everyone else is going the same way."

Turns out, she was right. Right before they emerged from the terminal, they were given a pair of green-tinted glasses to protect their eyes from the glimmering emeralds.

"Everything is so grand!" Galinda said in delight as she looked around.

"Yes," Elphaba breathed with a wide grin. "And it's all green. Like… me."

The girls quickly made their way to the hotel. The Wizard had made arrangements for them to stay at the Emerald Oasis Hotel, the fanciest hotel in the city, which was conveniently right around the corner from the palace.

"Does everything in this city have the word 'emerald' in it?" Galinda sighed. "We get it. Everything in this city is green."

Elphaba simply rolled her eyes. The bellboy led them to their room on the fourth floor. As soon as they opened the door, Galinda was convinced they were staying in a palace.

"This bed is so soft!" she giggled as she jumped onto the bed and pulled a pillow close to her chest. "I love this!"

Elphaba smiled as she looked around. The room was much bigger than she imagined. It also provided a perfect view of the palace. She took the other bed not occupied by her roommate and slowly sank into the bed. She had to admit, the bed made her feel like she was sitting on a cloud. "Look at the view, Glin."

The blonde got up from her heavenly bed and approached her roommate. "Wow," she whispered as she looked out at the glittering, gleaming city. It was early evening, so as the sun began to go down, the lights in the city began to turn on. "It's beautiful."

"Especially the palace," Elphaba observed. "The way it shines."

"You'll live there, someday," Galinda said as she linked arms with her friend and rested her head against her shoulder. "Elphaba the Great, Royal Magic Grand Vizier to His Ozness."

"You really think so?"

"Of course I do, Elphie. Now, are you hungry, or do you want to turn in for the evening?"

"I… I am a bit hungry. We could go to that restaurant we passed?"

"The Smaragdine Salad Bar?"

"The _what_?"

"I thought that, too."

"Who named that place? They wanted to substitute 'emerald', and they picked… _smaragdine_?"

"I suppose they wanted to do a thing with all the "s"'s. It got pretty good reviews. What about The White Swan Diner?"

Elphaba nodded. "The only restaurant that has nothing to do with the color green."

After freshening up, the two girls left the hotel and made their way down to the restaurant. They were seated immediately, and Galinda immediately scanned the menu, trying to find something she could pronounce.

"I've been thinking… if you were born in the Emerald City and lived here all your life, and only saw green, would you be color-blind to every other color?" Galinda asked when she finally found something she could order.

Elphaba rolled her eyes with a chuckle. "I suppose so, since your eyes are used to only seeing green. But I don't think they wear the glasses all the time. Probably only when its super sunny or something."

A waiter soon came to take their orders. The girls made small talk until their food arrived. Galinda still continued to mention fun things to do in the city. Most of the activities involved shopping at the different stores, but she promised Elphaba that she would find a way to squeeze the library and a museum into their schedule.

That night, as Elphaba laid in bed, her thoughts were consumed with the next day. She would have a fun morning in the greatest city in Oz with her best friend, then she would meet the most powerful person in Oz. She was exhausted, but she couldn't sleep. She ended up lulling herself to sleep with all the tossing and turning she did, finally going to sleep when she realized that panicking wouldn't make the next day come any sooner.

* * *

The next morning, Galinda woke up at the crack of dawn. And because she was awake, it also meant that Elphaba had to be, too. The green girl wasn't very happy to be awoken so early, but when she saw what Galinda woke up for, she eventually softened.

"It's just a sunrise, Galinda. You can see it from anywhere in Oz if you wake up early enough," Elphaba yawned.

"This one is different," the blonde sighed with a soft smile. "It's probably the emeralds."

"Maybe."

"Okay, now let's get dressed. We have all morning in the city, then we go to meet the Wizard."

The two girls were ready quickly. After breakfast in the hotel, they put on their green glasses and went out. They walked around the city, seeing what there was to offer before Galinda started to drag Elphaba into the boutiques. The green girl protested, of course, but soon relaxed when she realized that her complaints were falling on deaf ears.

"This dress would look perfect on you!" the blonde beamed, holding up a cute party dress.

"Green on green. That'll be attractive," Elphaba deadpanned, slipping off her glasses to get a better look at the dress.

"Shut up and try it on!"

Elphaba sighed and grumbled as she took the dress and went to find the fitting room. Galinda followed her and waited patiently for her to emerge in the dress. When she came out, she took off her glasses to get a better look. The dress was cute, but she couldn't convince Elphaba to purchase it.

"What is it?" Galinda asked as they walked down the street after leaving the store. She had just secured their tickets to that evening's show of _'Wiz-O-Mania'_.

"It's just… I want to always remember this moment," Elphaba smiled, glancing at her best friend. "Look!" She took her hand and looked around at all the people. "Nobody's staring. Nobody's pointing. For the first time, I'm somewhere where I belong."

Galinda beamed at her best friend. "You look… positively emerald!"

Elphaba couldn't help but laugh as she took the blonde's hand and they continued on their way. A few stores and many bags later, the girls went back to their hotel room to rest.

"After you meet the Wizard, we can do whatever you want before _'Wiz-O-Mania'_ ," Galinda promised. "How does lunch sound before pre-Wizard makeovers?"

"Makeovers?"

"Yes, Elphie! We need to look our best in the presence of His Ozness! Plus, we get a discount with your invitation."

"Fine," Elphaba sighed.

After a brief nap and lunch, Galinda looked at the map and led the way to Wash and Brush Up Co.. Upon entering, Elphaba showed her invitation to see the Wizard and they were immediately ushered inside and sat in chairs. They were treated to face masks, mani-pedis (emerald green nail polish, of course), and having their hair done. The stylist working on Elphaba's hair curled it and pinned it back into a half-up, half-down style, securing it with an emerald headband. Galinda was treated to an elegant bun with a green ribbon. The girls were done half an hour before their appointment. Galinda couldn't stop admiring her reflection in the mirror and how her skin glowed because of the facemask.

For the first time in her life, Elphaba looked at her reflection and smiled. The girls were quite a pair; with Elphaba in her long-sleeved black dress with a skirt that stopped right above her ankles and fancy black boots, and Galinda in a golden sundress and white heels. In a world where everything was green, she no longer stood out. She was no longer weird. She could look at herself in a mirror and she could be –dare she say it– beautiful.

"Why, Miss Elphaba, look at you," Galinda smiled, taking her best friend's hand with a gentle squeeze.

"Look at _us_ ," Elphaba said, squeezing back. "We look so…"

"Ozmopolitan!" the blonde giggled and the two paid and left.

The walk to the palace was very short, and Elphaba felt butterflies forming in her stomach the entire time. She showed her invitation to the guard, who opened the gate and allowed them to pass. As soon as they got to the front steps, the grand doors seemingly opened on their own.

"Sweet Oz," Galinda whispered, clutching her friend's arm as they walked in. "It's huge even on the inside."

"State your name and business," a guard said when they reached the next set of doors.

"Uh… I'm Elphaba Thropp. I have an invitation to see the Wizard," she said, handing him the invitation.

The guard took it and looked it over before handing it back. "And you are?" he asked, looking at the petite girl.

"Galinda Upland, of the Upper Uplands," Galinda said proudly.

The guard didn't budge.

"I'm with her," she said, gesturing with her head to Elphaba.

"She's with me," Elphaba nodded.

The guard grunted. He checked their bags and patted them down. "Follow me," he said, opening the doors and leading them through.

They walked down, their footsteps echoing against the walls. Galinda was holding onto Elphaba's arm the entire time. She knew she was there to be emotional support for Elphaba, but at that moment, she was probably more intimidated than the girl with the invitation was.

They were ushered into some sort of waiting room and told to wait while the guard announced them. Elphaba sat down in the armchair, staring directly in front of her as she crumbled her skirt in her hands.

Galinda gently pried Elphaba's fingers loose and clutched her hand. "Hey," she whispered so her friend would look at her. Elphaba's gaze slowly met hers and she gave her a small smile. "Everything will be fine. You'll see."

"Okay," Elphaba whispered with a small nod, but it was clear she didn't fully believe her.

"Miss Elphaba? Miss Galinda?" the guard said, coming back into the room.

The green girl immediately stood. "Yes?"

"The Wizard will see you now."

* * *

 **This is it! *Cackle***


	3. Unsettling News

Elphaba took a deep breath and nodded, allowing the guard to lead her and Galinda to the throne room. She had to consciously remember to breathe. She didn't want to pass out in the Wizard's presence. They were led through the doors, which closed behind them, separating them from the guard.

"Come forward!" a booming male voice shouted.

"Elphie," Galinda whispered as they slowly walked forward.

As they did, a large, green floating head appeared above the grand, emerald throne in front of a velvet, green curtain. Fire shot out of its sides and both girls involuntarily screamed.

"I am Oz!" the head boomed. "The great and powerful!"

"I change my mind! I wanna go home!" the blonde whimpered. She turned to leave, but Elphaba grabbed her hand, stilling her.

"Who are you? And why do you seek me?"

"Elphie, say something! Say _something_!" Galinda begged, clutching her friend's arm, very close to passing out. She pushed her towards the giant head while remaining behind her.

"I… uh… I am… um…" Elphaba stammered.

"Speak up!" the head boomed.

"I am Elphaba Thropp, Your Powerfulness," she finally managed to force out with a deep curtsy. "And this is my –"

"Oh, is that you, Elphaba? I didn't realize," the head said, but had lost its booming volume. Slowly, the head vanished and a middle-aged man with greying hair, a grey vest, and matching waistcoat stepped out from behind the curtain. He took his goggles off and replaced them with eyeglasses. "I'm sorry if I startled you. It's so hard to make out people's faces when I'm back there."

Both girls were still in shock, their mouths agape. They couldn't believe what they just saw.

"Are you alright?" the Wizard asked, clearly concerned.

"Well, when my heart stops trying to jump into my throat, I'll ask it," Galinda said, then remembered herself and who she was in front of.

Surprisingly, the Wizard laughed. "I know it's a bit much, isn't it? But that's what people expect. And you have to give the people what they want, right?" He chucked again. "Now, let's see. Which is which?" His gaze rested on Elphaba and the smile slowly melted from his face. Not in a bad way, just a way that made it clear that a connection was being made in his mind. "Elphaba?" he asked, extending his hand.

"Y-Yes, Your Ozness," she said, stepping forward and shaking his hand. "I'm… I'm so happy to meet you."

"Well, that's good. Because that's what I love doing the most; making people happy." He turned to Galinda. "And you are?"

"Galinda Upland, Your Great-And-Powerfulness," Galinda said, pinching the ends of her skirt as she curtsied.

The Wizard grinned. "From the Upper Uplands?"

The blonde beamed. "Yes!"

"She's my best friend," Elphaba offered. "I hope it's alright that she came with me. The invitation included two round trip train tickets."

"Of course it is," the Wizard smiled. "But, if you don't mind, Elphaba, I would like to speak with you in private for a moment."

The green girl's smiled faded slightly. "Alright."

"You're not in any trouble. Don't worry," the Wizard said, then turned to Galinda. "We'll be back shortly, Miss Galinda. Please make yourself comfortable."

"Thank you, Your Ozness," Galinda smiled, then sat down in a comfortable-looking armchair. She gave her friend an encouraging smile and watched as they disappeared into the adjacent room.

As Galinda sat quietly, she looked around the throne room. The roof was tall and everything was made of emeralds. She took off the glasses for a quick peek, squinting to protect her eyes. The room was even more magnificent without the protective shades.

It wasn't long before she heard yelling from the room. She blinked, confused as to why there would be yelling. Was there supposed to be yelling? She couldn't make out what they were saying, but before she had the chance to process it further, Elphaba hurried out of the room, looking upset and furious.

"Galinda, we're leaving," was all Elphaba said before hurrying out of the throne room.

The blonde was able to notice the stain on her friend's dress before she sped past her. She stood as the Wizard hurried out after the green girl.

"Elphaba, wait!" the Wizard called, then looked helplessly at Galinda.

"Oh! Don't worry, Your Ozness, I'll fetch her back. Elphie!" Galinda called, running after her best friend.

A few guards came into the room. "Shall we get them back, Your Ozness?"

"No," the Wizard said, taking a breath and pinching the bridge of his nose. "No, don't."

"Elphie, wait! Slow down!" the blonde called. If she knew her friend planned on running, she wouldn't have worn heels. "Where are you going? Why are you running? Stop!"

"I have to get out of here," Elphaba breathed, not slowing her pace.

Galinda finally managed to catch up and pulled her back. "Elphaba, listen to me. What happened in there? What did the Wizard say to you? I heard yelling."

"I don't want to talk about it. I just… have to get out of here. I can't stay here."

"Elphaba, you have to go back! You can't just run out on the Wizard like that! He could send the guards after us!"

"He won't," Elphaba said as she pulled away and ran out of the palace, giving the blonde no choice but to run out after her.

"Why do you have that stain on your dress?" the blonde asked, but was ignored.

Once they were back in their hotel, Galinda demanded an explanation, especially when she saw Elphaba packing her suitcase.

"I'm going back to Shiz," was all Elphaba said. "I can't stay in the city until tomorrow. I'll exchange tomorrow's tickets for a train back today. I have to leave now! _We_ have to leave now!"

"But… but what about _'Wiz-O-Mania'_?"

"I don't want to see that stupid play about the Wizard! I never did!" Elphaba snapped.

Silence echoed in the room. She slowly turned around to see her roommate staring at her with wide, tear-filled eyes.

"Glin…" she whispered, taking a deep breath and forcing herself to calm down. "Glin, I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have snapped at you like that."

She stepped towards her friend, but Galinda stepped back, the tears streaming down her cheek. "Elphie… what _happened_ in there?"

"I don't want to talk about it right now. I _can't_ talk about it right now. Just… please try to understand."

"Okay, Elphaba." There was little-to-no emotion in the blonde's voice as she wiped her eyes. She moved to her own side and began packing her things. Looking at the tickets, she frowned before carelessly ripping them up and throwing them in the wastebasket.

"Glin…" Elphaba tried.

"Are you ready?" the blonde interrupted, grabbing her suitcase without looking at her friend.

The green girl bit her lip, but nodded and the two left the hotel. They walked back to the terminal and Elphaba exchanged the train tickets. They were ten minutes early for the next train and boarded it.

The two friends rode in silence back to Shiz. Elphaba was trying to process everything, while Galinda was just mad that Elphaba had snapped at her and that their weekend in the Emerald City had been cut short. But she was mostly upset that her bestest friend wouldn't even tell her what had happened to make her want to end their special trip early.

Once they were back in their room, Galinda practically threw her suitcase into her closet without unpacking it, then flopped onto her bed, hugging her pillow to her chest.

Elphaba watched as she calmly began to unpack, then stood behind the blonde. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "I… I didn't know what to do. The Wizard… he… and I had to get out of there. It was all too much."

The blonde was silent.

"I understand if you never want to speak to me again. I understand if you don't want to be friends anymore."

"I'm not _that_ angry with you," Galinda muttered, but still didn't turn to face her roommate. "But unless you're going to tell me what in Oz's great name happened when you spoke to the Wizard, I don't want to talk to you for the rest of the day."

Elphaba looked down. "I can't do that."

"Then I don't believe we have anything further to say to each other at the moment." The blonde huffed and pulled a magazine from her nightstand. Elphaba realized that all attempts to get her friend to talk to her were hopeless. She went into the bathroom. When she came out, Galinda had taken her hair out and was busy removing the emerald nail polish from her fingers and toes.

She wanted to get food, but she didn't want to risk running into Nessa or Fiyero, who would immediately hound her as to why she was home a day early. So, instead, she simply sat on her bed and pulled out a novel.

It was Monday when the girls decided to reveal themselves to the campus once again. The first one to spot them was Fiyero, who immediately smiled at the girls and asked about their trip. Elphaba simply frowned and hurried away, leaving the ex-couple to face each other.

"What happened?" Fiyero asked the blonde.

"I don't know," Galinda scowled. "The Wizard talked to her privately, and she refuses to tell me what he said. We came back Saturday afternoon."

"You were supposed to come back Sunday."

"I know. We didn't even get to see _'Wiz-O-Mania'_. And she's been distant and modified. It's really worrying me."

"Maybe I could talk to her?"

"You can try. But I don't think you'll get very far."

Elphaba didn't see her sister until after her final class. Upon seeing the green girl, Nessa immediately demanded to know details of the city. Elphaba refused to say anything until they were back in the privacy of her room.

"Alright, now tell me everything," Nessa said, wheeling over to sit across from her sister. "How many shops did Galinda drag you into? Did you go to the statue garden or a museum? Did you see _'Wiz-O-Mania'_? How did your meeting with the Wizard go? What did he want? Is he offering you a job after graduation?"

"He offered me something, but it wasn't a job," Elphaba sighed, then started from the beginning. She told her sister about the shops and the makeover and the food and the green glasses. The brunette seemed to cling onto her sister's every word.

"And the meeting? What happened then?"

"Galinda and I were ushered into the throne room. The Wizard greeted us there. He's a… middle-aged man with greying hair. Not quite the pictured I originally had of him."

"Fabala, what did he say? What did you say? What did he say when you said what you said? Tell me the _dialogue_!"

"He told me the real reason he summoned me. And then… I ran away."

Nessa's jaw dropped. "You what?"

"I ran away. I didn't have a choice. I panicked. I had to –"

"I can't believe you," Nessa hissed, narrowing her eyes at her sister with a frown. "How could you have done something this stupid?"

"Nessa –"

"I can't believe you embarrassed yourself like that! I can't believe you embarrassed this _family_ like that! And Madame Morrible! She wrote to the Wizard on your behalf, and _this_ is how you repay her?"

"Nessarose, you don't understand!"

"I understand completely! You're ungrateful! You have _always_ been ungrateful! You were given this wonderful opportunity and you waste it!"

"It wasn't like that!"

"I'm pretty sure it was! And to make matters worse, you were given an extra ticket and you don't take me! You didn't even _ask_ me if I wanted to go to the Emerald City before you go and ask Galinda! You've only known her for two months and already you're attached at the hip."

"But Nessa –"

"And furthermore –"

"The Wizard is my father!" Elphaba blurted out, unable to take her sister's ranting anymore.

Nessa stopped and gaped at her sister. "Wh-What?"

"The Wizard," she repeated more calmly. "He's… he's my biological father."


	4. The Conversation

_"Please sit, Elphaba."_

 _Elphaba slowly sat across a small table from the Wizard._

 _"Tea?"_

 _"Yes, please," she nodded and the Wizard poured her a cup and gently pushed it over to her. "What did you want to speak to me about, Your Ozness?" she asked, adding milk and sugar from the tea service._

 _The Wizard sat and prepared his own tea. "I wanted to know more about you. Tell me, you grew up in Munchkinland?"_

 _Elphaba nodded. "I did."_

 _"And your family?"_

 _"My father is the Governor of Munchkinland, and I have a younger sister, Nessarose."_

 _"And your mother… Melena, isn't it?"_

 _Elphaba bit her lip. "She died when I was two… giving birth to my sister."_

 _"Oh. I'm so sorry."_

 _"Wait. How… how did you know my mother's name?"_

 _The Wizard took a deep breath. "I knew her."_

 _"You did?"_

 _"Yes, I did. We met when I was traveling in Munchkinland, but I wasn't the Wizard back then. The revolution against the Ozmas was just starting up."_

 _Elphaba stared at the Wizard, her tea forgotten. "And?"_

 _"I stayed in Munchkinland for a month, and I saw her multiple times. One night, she was feeling a bit ill, so I gave her a special elixir from an apothecary. It was in this," he said, pulling a small, green bottle from his vest pocket._

 _"That's my mother's bottle! Only… it can't be. I left it at Shiz… under my pillow. How could you have it?"_

 _"This isn't your mother's bottle, Elphaba. This is mine. I had two bottles of the elixir. I gave her one and told her she could keep the bottle. But that's not the main point. The main point is that the elixir was the same color as your skin."_

 _Elphaba bit her lip. "What are you trying to say?"_

 _"After I left Munchkinland and became the Wizard, I never saw Melena again. I didn't know what happened to her after that. I didn't even know that she was married… or pregnant."_

 _"What…"_

 _"When is your birthday, Elphaba?"_

 _"March sixteenth."_

 _"I met your mother in July. It all adds up. And it would also explain your extraordinary powers… since I'm from Earth, not Oz. You're a child of two worlds."_

 _Elphaba slowly rose to her feet. "No," she whispered._

 _"Yes," the Wizard whispered, also standing. "Elphaba, I'm your biological father."_

 _"You… you're lying. There's no way you're telling the truth!"_

 _"Elphaba, this isn't something you lie about. Ever since Madame Morrible met you, she made the connection between your skin and –"_

 _"Morrible knew?" Elphaba gasped._

 _"She didn't know, but she had a pretty solid guess. But now this confirms everything."_

 _"This confirms nothing! There's no way you could be my father! Frexspar Thropp, no matter how we feel about each other, is my father. He still fed and clothed me, as well as putting a roof over my head."_

 _"Elphaba –"_

 _"You weren't there. You were never there. You don't know what my life was like growing up."_

 _"What was your life like growing up?"_

 _Elphaba's expression changed. "I wasn't loved. My father never spared a moment to care about my feelings. He never bothered to try and look past my skin. No one ever has. No matter what I did, it was never enough. To put it shortly, it was horrible. Absolutely horrible. You have no idea!"_

 _"Then allow me to fix it. I know I can't change the past, but I can change the present… and the future."_

 _"Why are you telling me this?"_

 _"Because I feel that you deserve to know the truth."_

 _"Who else knows?"_

 _"Other than you and me and Morrible, no one."_

 _The green girl was pacing by this point, muttering to herself. She couldn't believe what she was hearing._

 _"How are you feeling?" the Wizard asked._

 _"You try finding out that your whole life has been a lie and you tell me. Why would you even want to be_ my _father?"_

 _"I am a sentimental man," the Wizard whispered, almost to himself. "Who always longed to be… a father." He was silent for a moment before slowly meeting Elphaba's confused gaze. "Elphaba, according to the Constitution of Oz, the throne is left to me and my descendants. I never had a descendant until now. I want to be your father, if you'll allow me. I want to be a part of your life."_

 _"You can't just jump into my life like this! If you really cared about me, you would have tried to contact my mother after your 'rise to power'. You forgot about her. You don't forget about people you care about it. You had an affair with my mother while she was married to my father and then you abandon her! You abandoned_ me _!"_

 _"Elphaba, you must understand. I didn't know she was pregnant. It was only when you came to Shiz that -"_

 _"And what if I didn't come to Shiz? I was only sent to take care of my sister! What if she didn't go there? Then what?"_

 _"Elphaba –"_

 _"No!" the green girl shot, finally stopping and glaring at the Wizard. The teapot, which had been tipping throughout the green girl's rant, exploded. The Wizard ducked, but Elphaba wasn't as quick. The hot liquid splattered onto her dress and she bit back a hiss of pain._

 _"Are you alright?" he asked, moving towards her, but she moved away._

 _"No," Elphaba whispered, her anger now replaced with fear. "I… I have to go. I have to leave." She looked at the Wizard. "I'm leaving."_

 _Before the Wizard could blink, Elphaba had bolted to the door and threw it open, disappearing from his sight. "Elphaba, wait!" he called, then sighed as he ran after her._

Nessa gaped at her sister with wide eyes as she told her the story. She couldn't say anything. And even if she could, she wouldn't know what to say. What do you say to something like that?

"And that's the whole story," Elphaba finished, taking a deep breath. She stood up and began to pace.

Nessa watched her sister in silence. She knew she had to choose her words very carefully, for fear of setting her off. "How are you feeling?" was what she ultimately decided on.

"Confused," Elphaba admitted. "Angry. Hurt. And a bunch of other things I can't put into words. I just found out my whole life was a lie."

"So… you're now the heir to Oz?"

"Yes. At least… not by choice. I don't know."

"Who else knows about this?"

"The Wizard, Morrible, me… and now you."

"Galinda doesn't know?"

Elphaba shook her head. "You're the first person I told. And… I don't want anyone else to know. Not even Father."

Nessa looked unsure, but nodded. "And… what does this mean… for us?"

Elphaba knelt in front of her. "Nothing's changed. We're still family, Nessie. We're still sisters."

"Half-sisters, you mean."

"That doesn't matter. I still love you. I always have and nothing, not even this, will change that."

"I love you, too, Fabala," she said, accepting the hug from her sister. The two stayed like that until Elphaba gently pulled away.

"I'm going to dinner. Are you hungry?"

Nessa shook her head. "I ate before my final class. I think I'll get some studying done."

"Okay. I'll see you later, then."

"See you later."

The green girl left her sister's room and made her way to the dining hall. When she got there, Galinda was eating with her other friends. They glanced briefly at each other before Galinda turned back to her friends, leaving Elphaba to eat alone, much like she did at the beginning of the school year.

When Elphaba returned to the room, Galinda wasn't back yet. She returned half-an-hour later, and by then, Elphaba had resolved to tell her roommate the truth… the _whole_ truth.

"Glin, can we talk?" she asked after her roommate had settled down on her bed.

"I don't know, can we?" the blonde huffed.

"I have to tell you something really important… and personal."

Galinda looked up and turned to face her. She patted the spot next to her, and Elphaba sat down. It took her a moment, but she soon launched into the full story.

"Oh my Oz," the blonde whispered when Elphaba finished. "The Wizard is your father?"

"Biologically, yes."

"Then that would make you –"

"Don't say it!"

"A princess!"

Elphaba groaned. "You said it."

"That's Ozmazifying, Elphie!" the blonde giggled, taking her friend's hand. She sobered when she realized her friend wasn't sharing her enthusiasm. "You're not happy?"

"I don't know what I'm feeling. All my life, I was never loved or appreciated. Now, all of a sudden, I'm offered what I always wanted with no strings attached." She ran her hand through her hair. "I just… need some time to think about it. And Glin, you _cannot_ tell _anyone_ about this. Not even Fiyero."

"I won't, Elphie. I promise."

Elphaba smiled. "Thank you."

"I just have one question," Galinda said as they hugged.

"Yes?"

"Will I have to curtsy to you and call you 'Your Royal Highness'?"

Despite everything, Elphaba chuckled. "I suppose I could make a special exception for you."

* * *

Later that week, when Elphaba checked her mailbox, she found a letter from the Wizard. It wasn't in a green envelope, but a small manila one. She figured he did that to stop her from throwing it out on sight without reading it.

She waited until she got back to her room to read it. Galinda was out, so she had the room to herself. She opened the letter and read it. She read and reread it, then sighed.

"All Oz could be thrown into chaos without a ruler?" Galinda asked when Elphaba read her the letter.

"Dr. Dillamond told us that before the Wizard came, there was chaos and disorder under the Ozmas. If it happened before, it could happen again."

"And you're the rightful heir?"

"Apparently." She chuckled humorlessly. "Can you imagine me in fancy dresses and hosting parties and giving speeches and… ruling the entire country?"

"It sounds like fun."

"It's not _me_. I don't wear fancy dresses or attend parties or any of that stuff."

"Elphie, finding a color that won't clash with your skin won't be the biggest obstacle."

"That's exactly my point!"

"Why don't you just… accept the Wizard's offer… for now? Just to see how it goes. If it goes well, you have your new life. If it goes horribly, no harm done, except for the future of Oz and life as we know it."

Elphaba rolled her eyes. "Fine. I suppose it's better to make two people happy than to upset everyone… and to put the fate of Oz at risk."

"You can use my fancy paper," the blonde offered, going over to her desk and pulling out a light pink writing pad with flowers on the bottom.

"I'm not using that paper," Elphaba sighed, shaking her head and going to get her own paper.

"Elphie, you can't use your boring old paper anymore! You'll need your own signature paper."

"My own _signature paper_?" she repeated incredulously.

"Of course. You have so much to learn, Elphie." She took the Wizard's letter and reread it herself. "He also said that he'll arrange for you to come to the city every other week on the weekend to learn about being a proper princess."

"Don't say that word."

"What word? Weekend?"

Elphaba huffed. "No. _Princess_. It sounds… weird, especially when referring to me."

"Okay. There's royalty, monarch, noblewoman, sovereign – let me know when I get to a synonym you approve of. We also have future queen, emerald emperor, Ozness-in-Training –"

The green girl groaned and flopped onto her bed. "Just… I don't want to talk about it anymore. I said I would do it, and I'll write back to the Wizard and let him know. I just want to be normal, or well… as normal as I _can_ be."

"Of course, Elphie," the blonde said, sitting on her bed. She thought for a moment before asking, "When you're Queen of Oz, will you have your own giant floating head?"

Elphaba wordlessly threw her pillow at her roommate's face.

* * *

 **Don't forget to review! :-)**


	5. A Royal Lesson

The rest of the week carried on the same for Elphaba. She tried to push everything having to do with the Wizard to the back of her mind. She had much more important things to worry about, like her Literature essay.

As promised, Galinda continued to keep her royal secret, even though it was hard, especially when people continued to make their small-minded comments about her skin and talk about her behind her back. The green girl could tell that her friend really wanted to put everyone in their place by revealing her true identity, but really appreciated her not doing that.

Elphaba continued to spend as much time as she could with her sister. It was obvious that Nessa was still getting used to the news, but clearly still didn't know what to think.

"You should tell Father," she whispered one afternoon as they did their homework in the library.

"I know," Elphaba whispered back with a sigh. "I just… wouldn't know how to tell him. Although, he'd probably be relieved that I was never his."

"Elphaba –"

"But then he'd be upset with Mama for having an affair while he was away."

Nessa was silent.

"How would I even tell him?"

"My suggestion would be before any news breaks elsewhere."

"It's not going to. This is a secret. No one knows unless I told them."

"Do you think…"

"What?"

"Do you think Mama knew?"

Elphaba thought for a moment. "She had to. Father was gone for a month. She could have easily lied to him about when I was conceived."

After Elphaba left the library, she was on her way to the café when she spotted Fiyero. She hadn't really been avoiding him, per se, she just didn't go out of her way to seek him out or speak with him.

"Hey, Elphaba! Care to join me at the café?" he asked with a small smile.

"I was just on my way there," Elphaba said, though she didn't return the smile.

"Then may I join you?"

She already started to walk away. "I suppose."

The prince quickly followed her to the café and led her to a table in the corner. "I… wanted to talk to you," he said as they sat down and glanced at the menus.

"What about?"

"Us."

Elphaba gaped at him. _"What?"_

"I want to talk to you about us."

"What us?"

"Well… that's what I wanted to talk about. Could we be an… _us_?"

Elphaba blinked at him.

"We've been friends for a while and… I really like you, Elphaba. We've had a few dates…"

"Study sessions," she interrupted.

"It was still time we spent together."

Elphaba looked down, suddenly not hungry. "I'm sorry, Fiyero, but I just have so much going on right now."

"You don't have to decide right here and now," the prince said quickly, sensing this wasn't going the way he hoped.

"I feel like my whole life is being uprooted and I have no control over it."

"I'm not trying to uproot your life, Elphaba," he blinked, not realizing that they were talking about two completely separate things.

"I just don't have time for… I'm sorry, I have to go," Elphaba frowned, quickly grabbing her bag and bolting out the door without ordering.

Fiyero stared at the door before slumping in his chair and running a hand through his hair and down his face. Something was definitely going on, and he was determined to find out what it was.

* * *

Galinda's attention was on the passing scenery as she and Elphaba rode the train back to the Emerald City. She glanced over at her roommate, who was reading a magazine and seemingly refused to look up from it.

"Elphie, bending over like that is horrible for your posture," the blonde said, finally getting her roommate to glance up at her. "A princess must –"

"Keep your voice down!" she hissed. Even though their compartment door was closed, it wasn't soundproof.

"Regardless, it's bad for your posture. You must sit up straight, or you'll be a hunchback by the time you're thirty years old."

Elphaba rolled her eyes, but sat up straight.

"I could make you balance books on your head."

"Excuse me?"

"Most people think it's silly, but it really does help with posture and staying upright."

Elphaba huffed.

"You also shouldn't huff," Galinda commented, for which she received a pointed glare as a response. "You'll thank me later."

"Lessons aren't supposed to start until tomorrow."

"I know the Wizard hired a private princess tutor for you, but you can think of me as your supplemental instructor for when we're at Shiz."

"I can think of you as getting on my last nerve."

Galinda frowned and turned back to the window.

"I'm sorry," Elphaba said, closing her book and putting it aside. "I really should stop snapping at you. I'm just so nervous about this whole ordeal."

"I know, Elphie. I'm not mad at you," Galinda said, moving to sit next to her friend. She gently wrapped her arms around her. "I'd be just as nervous as you are."

Before they knew it, the familiar city of emeralds came into view. The train pulled into the terminal and they took the path they did the last time.

"I'm surprised the Wizard didn't send anyone here to meet us," the blonde frowned, struggling with her suitcase.

"He probably didn't want to raise suspicion," Elphaba said, leading the way back to the palace.

When they got there, the guard seemed to recognize them, but still asked them to state their business. Elphaba showed him the pass the Wizard had included in his last letter. He also included one for Galinda, since he assumed she would be accompanying Elphaba back.

They were shown into the throne room, where the Wizard was waiting for them.

"Elphaba," he said with a smile. He moved to hug her, but she took a small step back, letting him know they weren't at that stage yet.

"Your Ozness," she said with a slight curtsy, and Galinda did the same.

"Oscar," the Wizard corrected.

"I'm sorry?"

"I don't think you'll call me 'Dad' anytime soon. Though I can be optimistic and hopeful, I also have to be practical. I think being on a first name basis is a good start. And you don't have to curtsy to me."

"Very well. If that's what you want… Oscar," Elphaba tried. The name sounded foreign to her.

"Allow me to show you both to your rooms," he said, beckoning them to follow him.

As they walked, Galinda gently nudged her friend with a weird look on her face. _'What kind of name is Oscar?'_ she mouthed.

Elphaba shrugged and followed the Wizard up a flight of stairs. They walked down a few long hallways before the Wizard opened a set of double doors and led them inside.

"This is your room, Elphaba."

The green girl stepped inside and looked around. The room was huge. A large, fuzzy green rug covered half of the room; the other half was emerald linoleum flooring. She had a large wardrobe, dresser, drawers, bookcase, a desk and comfortable-looking chair, as well as a queen-sized canopy bed with a light green veil over it, covered in an emerald comforter and many pillows. A large window with a seat overlooked the gardens, facing the west side of the palace.

"This will be your room every time you come. You can fix it however you like. It will also remain your room if you choose to accept your birthright position and title and live here," Oscar said.

"Thank you," Elphaba said softly.

Oscar nodded. "Miss Galinda, your room is right down the hall. I'll leave you two to get settled." He moved to leave, but stopped in the doorway. "There's one more thing I want to tell you, Elphaba."

"Yes?"

"My anniversary is August fifth of next year."

"Your anniversary of becoming the Wizard," Elphaba clarified.

"Yes. It will be my twenty-second year. I know it seems like a long way off, but I would like to officially present you as my daughter and as the heir to Oz during the festivities."

"If I accept," she added.

"Yes. If you accept."

"And everything will remain a secret until then?"

"Yes."

"Okay."

Oscar looked like he wanted to say more, but he simply nodded. "I just wanted to let you know. Dinner will be ready in an hour or two." And with that, he left.

Galinda went to go see her room with the promise that she would come back as soon as she finished. Once the blonde left, Elphaba slowly sat on the bed and ran her hands over the comforter. She felt completely out of place in this room. It was a big upgrade from her tiny room back in Munchkinland. She just couldn't believe that it all belonged to her. And so much more would belong to her if she continued.

Galinda soon came back and, seeing that her friend still wasn't unpacked, took the liberty of unpacking for her.

"Let's go explore the palace!" she said with an excited bounce once she was finished.

"We can't just go wandering through the halls!" Elphaba gasped with a frown.

"Why not?"

"Because no one knows we're here."

"Elphie, they _know_ we're here. They just don't know why. As far as they're concerned, we're just special guests of the Wizard."

"And what will happen when they see me here every two weeks on the weekend?"

"No one will question the Wizard. Now, come on!" she said, pulling her friend to her feet and practically dragging her out the door.

Elphaba ended up having a nice time exploring the first floor of the palace. By the time they were back in the foyer, a maid came to inform them that dinner was ready in the dining room.

Oscar took the opportunity to try to learn as much about Elphaba as he could. He asked her questions about her likes and dislikes, her hobbies, and her favorite things to do. He tried to avoid the subject of her childhood for fear that he might upset her. "If I may ask, do you have any memories of your mother?"

"Not really. Since she died when I was a toddler, most of my memories of her are fragmented and fuzzy. My father never talked about her, especially to me, since it's my fault she died."

He was about to ask how it could have been her fault, but Galinda frantically shook her head. Instead, he asked if she was enjoying her dinner. She nodded as she took a sip of water. Oscar then moved to making conversation with Galinda, since it was clear that Elphaba was done talking about herself.

Once they had dessert, the Wizard dismissed them and they went up to their rooms. The girls were exhausted, but knew an even longer day awaited them tomorrow. Elphaba laid on top of the comforter, hugging one of the pillows against her chest. Her mind was racing, preventing her from sleeping. She eventually climbed under the covers and made herself comfortable before closing her eyes.

The next morning, the girls met Oscar in the parlor for breakfast. He and Galinda made some small talk, but Elphaba was quiet.

"Your tutor will be here shortly, Elphaba," the Wizard said once they all finished eating. "Her name is Alva Jabal. She's from Ev, and she the headmistress of the Royal Finishing School there. And I have already informed her that everything must be kept a secret until August. I think you'll like her."

"Alright," Elphaba nodded, and felt Galinda's hand slip into hers.

A servant came in to announce that Madame Jabal had arrived. Oscar smiled and walked out, quickly followed by the girls.

"Madame Jabal," he said with a smile.

The woman curtsied deeply. "Ozness."

Elphaba looked at the woman. She had dark red hair that was slowly starting to turn grey pulled back into a tight bun. Her light tan suit covered her white blouse underneath, and her skirt stopped just below her knees. Her glasses sat perfectly on her nose and her lips covered in nude lip-gloss.

"This is my daughter, Elphaba," the Wizard said, gently taking Elphaba's hand and guiding her forward. "And her friend, Miss Galinda Upland."

The woman smiled and curtsied again. "Your Royal Highness. Miss Upland."

Elphaba nodded and Galinda beamed.

"I leave her in your capable hands," Oscar nodded as he walked away.

Madame Jabal nodded and looked Elphaba up and down. The green girl wore a simple black dress with thick black tights and boots. Her hair was tied back in her usual braid and her glasses perched on her nose.

"I see we have our work cut out for us," Madame Jabal said with little emotion. "Come to the parlor, ladies. Miss Upland, I trust that I may implore your help."

"Of course," Galinda smiled as they followed the older woman.

"And so it begins," the green girl muttered quietly so only Galinda heard her. She received a light jab in the side.

"We will begin with measurements for your new royal wardrobe."

"We wear uniforms at Shiz," Elphaba quipped, confused as to why she would need new clothes.

"Nevertheless, you will need new dresses and other fancy outfits for engagements and outings." Madame Jabal said, taking out a notebook, pen, and measuring tape. "Miss Upland, please take notes."

Galinda took the notebook and pen before giving her friend an encouraging smile. _'Just try'_ she mouthed. Elphaba took a deep breath as Madame Jabal began taking measurements.

"That was torturous," she groaned to Galinda when she was finished.

"That wasn't so bad," the blonde giggled lightly.

"Your Royal Highness," Madame Jabal said, gesturing to two seats in the center of the room. "Continuing on. Our first lesson will be how to sit like a proper princess."

"Don't say anything," Galinda warned as Elphaba opened her mouth.

Elphaba settled for just a subtle eye roll as she sat down in one of the chairs.

"Princesses do not cross their legs," Madame Jabal said, using her pointer stick to gently push Elphaba's right leg off her left. "Try sitting with your ankles crossed, but your knees must always be firmly pressed together. And remember to keep your back straight."

Elphaba tried it. It wasn't the most comfortable thing in the world. She couldn't imagine sitting for hours like this.

"Relax your shoulders, chin down, and fold your hands gracefully in your lap."

"This is torture," Elphaba sighed, rubbing her now-sore lower back.

"It will take some getting used to," was all Madame Jabal said as she continued making adjustments.

After what seemed like forever to Elphaba, the lessons were finally over.

"Alright, I will see you in two weeks, Your Royal Highness," the tutor curtsied, then turned to Galinda. "Miss Upland, please make sure she practices so we don't lose progress."

"Of course, Madame Jabal," the blonde promised.

The woman nodded and left.

"I don't like this," Elphaba frowned once she was gone.

"It was only your first lesson. You'll get the hang of it. You did well for your first time."

"And I wish she'd stop calling me 'Your Royal Highness'."

"She's preparing you for your potential future. It's her job to get you used to what to expect."

They walked out and were informed that the Wizard was waiting for them in the throne room. They met the Wizard there and he held a green envelope in his hands.

"This is for you," he said, handing the envelope to Elphaba.

"Actually, it's for Galinda," Elphaba said, handing it over to her friend.

The blonde looked surprised, but took the envelope and opened it. A wide smile quickly spread across her face as she pulled out what was inside. "Two tickets to tonight's performance of _'Wiz-O-Mania'_! And it's the front row!" She glanced at her friend. "But how…"

"I told him about what happened last time," Elphaba said with a soft smile. "About how upset you were, and how much you wanted to see the show."

"Thank you!" the blonde said, wrapping her arms around her best friend in a hug, which was quickly returned. She turned and curtsied to the Wizard. "Thank you, Your Ozness."

"Of course, Miss Galinda. You two have fun tonight," Oscar smiled.

The blonde giggled and grabbed her friend's hand before hurrying out of the throne room. Elphaba couldn't help but laugh. She loved seeing her friend happy. And it was the least she could do.

Maybe there would be some good perks to accepting this job.


	6. The Secret's Out

**CaskettLover1990: Yes, laughs. Lots of laughs. Heh heh.**

* * *

As winter began to close in on Oz, the students at Shiz were all focused on final exams. Elphaba spent most of her time in the library studying, but also to avoid reading the princess books Galinda bought her.

"Don't I have enough homework as it is?" Elphaba asked, flipping through the book before tossing it onto her bed.

"This is important, Elphie!"

"So is the Great Drought!"

"Just take a break for a minute."

"If you're going to quiz me on royal stuff, it's not a break."

Eventually, Galinda won (as expected), and got Elphaba to read a chapter from one of the books.

"Let's go to the cafeteria," Elphaba suggested, closing the book. "I'm hungry."

"I could eat," the blonde shrugged and they grabbed their coats.

They met Fiyero on their way there, who invited himself to join them.

"Ahem," the blonde coughed as soon as Elphaba sat down with her bowl of soup.

Elphaba looked up. "What?"

Galinda frowned and narrowed her eyes. The green girl sighed before sitting up straight and uncrossing her legs.

"What's wrong?" Fiyero asked.

"Her posture," Galinda quipped.

"What's wrong with the way she's sitting?"

"I have taken it upon myself to save Elphie from becoming a hunchback by the time she's thirty."

Elphaba groaned. "Gee, thanks, Glin."

"Remember, Elphie; you don't want to have to balance books on your head."

The prince looked confused, but didn't question it. Periodically, he would send glances in Elphaba's direction, but the green girl had developed a great interest in her food.

"I'm going to get some more studying done," she said, standing up and grabbing her bag, hat, and coat. "I'll see you both later."

"Is she okay?" Fiyero asked as soon as she left.

"She's fine. Just… stressed about finals," the blonde half-lied.

"No, there's something else going on. I just know it, but she won't tell me."

"Fiyero," Galinda said gently. "She's fine. Trust me."

The prince didn't believe her, but didn't have much of a choice. He waited until she was done eating and they left together before parting ways at their separate dorm buildings.

Finally, the first day of finals arrived. Elphaba was up early, looking over her notes before getting ready. While she was in the bathroom, Galinda woke up, contemplated whether it was really worth it to get up early, and ultimately decided that it was. She was ready as soon as Elphaba came out in her undergarments and a towel wrapped around her head. Once she put on her uniform, the green girl packed her bag and looked over her notes one final time.

"Elphie, stop studying before you overload your brain," the blonde said as she put on her hat. "You won't be able to remember a thing!"

"That's impossible," Elphaba said as she put on her gloves. "Ready?"

"Even if I said no, you'd still drag me out of the room."

"You're right."

Galinda sighed, but walked with her friend out of their room and grabbed a quick breakfast at the cafeteria. On their way to the main building, they saw a large crowd gathered by the doors, most of them with cameras.

"What's happening?" Galinda asked, glancing at Elphaba.

"I don't know," Elphaba replied, just as confused.

"Maybe it's a protest to stop final exams, standardized tests, and other pointless paperwork all university students are forced to face."

"I doubt that, Glin," Elphaba deadpanned.

"There she is!" an unidentified voice shouted and all heads turned around to Elphaba. "The green one! That's Elphaba Thropp, the Wizard's daughter!"

"Oh no," Galinda muttered as they were immediately swarmed by the crowd.

"Over here, Princess Elphaba!" the reporters shouted at once, snapping photos and screaming for her attention.

"Why hasn't Oz known about your existence all these years?"

"Did you always know you're the princess of Oz?"

"Were you always green?"

"Do you have a boyfriend?"

"What are you studying at Shiz?"

"Is it true you have the most powerful magic in Ozian history?"

"Were you forcibly separated from your real father?"

"Will you change your last name?"

The green girl soon found herself separated from her best friend and cornered by the press. The flashing lights blinded her and she couldn't find a way out. All of the loud voices jumbled together in her head, giving her a headache. How did they even find her? She had sworn everyone to secrecy. Who told on her? She soon felt a hand on her arm. She couldn't see who it was and tried to pull away, but the person was much stronger than she was and pulled her inside the building and slammed the door. She turned to see her Literature professor and let out a slow, relieved breath.

"Dr. Charlton," she began, but the professor cut her off.

"Madame Morrible is waiting for you in her office, Miss Elphaba," was all he said before leading her away.

Outside, she could still hear the press screaming for her to come back out and talk to them. Tears quickly formed in her eyes and slid down her cheek. She couldn't believe what was happening.

"Miss Elphaba, please sit," Morrible said as soon as she saw the green girl. The clearly distraught student sat across from the head Shiztress as she pulled out a newspaper. "The news broke this morning."

Elphaba took the paper and immediately glanced at the headline, with a colorized picture of her face next to it.

 _'Oz's Heir and Newest Princess is Found in Green Girl Elphaba Thropp'_

"Oh," she whimpered, slouching in her seat. She didn't bother reading the actual article. She didn't need to.

"We will find a way to get rid of the press. We obviously can't have them as a distraction during finals week."

"This was supposed to be a secret," Elphaba whispered, wiping her face. "No one was supposed to know."

"Did you tell anyone?"

"Just Galinda and my sister, but no one else. And they wouldn't have told anyone. I just know it."

Morrible didn't look convinced. "The news is all over Oz by now."

Elphaba bit her lip. That meant her father knew.

"Do you have a final this morning?"

Elphaba nodded. "Ozian History with Dr. Dillamond."

"I will see if I can get you exempt –"

"No!" Elphaba immediately interjected. She studied too long and too hard not to take the test. "I'm ready for the exam."

"Are you sure? After this whole ordeal –"

"I'm sure. Please, Madame."

The older woman regarded her for a moment, then nodded and dismissed her. Elphaba hurried out of the office and to the classroom. As she passed several students, she heard the usual whispers, but something was different. They weren't mean and vicious like she was used to. Neither were the stares. She heard others whispering about the article and whether they thought it was true or not. A few even _curtsied_ and _bowed_ to her.

By the time she got to the room, Dr. Dillamond had just started to hand out the test papers. Everyone immediately turned and stared at her. The green girl paused in the doorway for a moment before taking the last available seat in the front row by the window. She took off her winter gear and wiped her face. She just wanted to get this test over with. She could feel everyone's eyes on her, but ignored them. She couldn't even bring herself to look at Galinda or her sister… and especially Fiyero.

"Miss Elphaba?" Dr. Dillamond asked as he stood over her desk.

She looked up.

"Are you alright?"

"Yes. I'm fine." Elphaba said, taking the exam packet and writing her name at the top.

"Class, you have two and a half hours to complete this exam. You may begin," the Goat said as he sat at his desk and began to grade final essays.

They were ten minutes into the exam before someone outside shouted, "There she is!" and began taking photos. Elphaba bit her lip and turned away, trying to block out the shouting and the flashing cameras. The professor jumped up and fiddled with the blinds string before it closed, blocking the flashes and the natural light. Unfortunately, closing the blinds didn't block the shouting voices and they only grew louder every second Elphaba was blocked from their view.

"I am going to inform Madame Morrible of this disturberance. While I am gone, everyone is to remain silent and keep their eyes on their own papers. Anyone caught doing otherwise will receive an automatic failing grade," Dr. Dillamond said as he swiftly left.

As soon as the door closed, everyone immediately looked at Elphaba.

"Are you really the Wizard's daughter, Elphaba?"

"How did you even find out?"

"Did you know your entire life?"

"Are you gonna live in the palace now?"

"Did the Wizard give you away when you were born and now he suddenly wants you back?"

"Are you gonna get special treatment because of this?"

"Did you bring all those reporters here to try and get out of finals?"

"Do you think you're better than us now?"

"Stop it! All of you!" Galinda shouted, shooting up from her seat. Everyone's attention immediately shifted to her. "Leave Elphaba alone! She didn't ask for any of this to happen! We're supposed to be taking an exam!" With a huff, she sat back down. "Just shut up before we _all_ get in trouble."

" _Princess Elphaba_ wouldn't get in trouble," another voice sneered. "Her _real_ father would make sure of it."

"Pfannee, that was uncalled for," another student frowned.

"It's true," Pfannee said, crossing her arms. "But just know this, _Your Royal Highness_. Just because you have a fancy new title, it doesn't change who you were and always will be; a freak."

"Pfannee!" Nessa gasped.

"You were always a freak and a monster and nothing will ever be able to change that."

Everyone immediately began talking at once. Elphaba covered her ears and shut her eyes, wanting nothing more than for everyone to be quiet.

"Everyone just SHUT UP!" she cried.

Suddenly, a bright green light filled the room and was plunged into silence. When the light died down, Elphaba slowly opened her eyes. Everyone's mouths were moving, but no sound was coming out.

"What…" Elphaba whispered, then realized what she had done.

She wanted everyone to be quiet, so she muted their voices.

In hindsight, this magical outburst could have been worse. She could have sent everyone's papers flying across the room. The professor's hoof steps slowly grew louder as he returned to the classroom. By the time he did, everyone's eyes were on their own papers and no one dared to look up.

Elphaba was the first one finished and practically flew out of the classroom after handing in her packet. She had to calm down. She had to get back to her room, but she was scared to leave, in case a reporter was still outside. She looked out the window. She didn't see anyone, but they could be hiding. She put on her coat, gloves, hat, and used her scarf to cover up most of her face. She pulled her hat down over her forehead so only her eyes were visible. Taking a deep breath, she pushed the door open and hurried as fast as she could to Crage Hall.

"You're lucky, Fiyero. History is the only class you have with her. I have to take three more exams with her," Galinda huffed as she and Fiyero walked down the halls. The spell wore off once they left, which they were more than grateful for.

"Why were they calling her 'Princess Elphaba' outside?" he asked, clearly having heard the press' initial shouts.

The blonde sighed. There was no use trying to keep the secret now. "When we went to the Emerald City, she found out that the Wizard is her father. She has until August to decide whether she wants to be his official heir. It was supposed to be a secret, but someone found out and spread the news."

Suddenly, everything made sense to the prince. "I'll talk to her. One royal to another."

"You can try. She's having a major identity crisis right now, and nothing I say to her seems to make her feel better. Honestly, I don't even know where she is right now, but you can check our room."

The prince smiled and followed the blonde back to Crage Hall. Once she unlocked the door, she found the green girl sitting on her bed with her back facing the door.

"Well…" Galinda said slowly, choosing her words carefully. "That… that wasn't the _worst_ thing that could have happened. However, you didn't have to take away everyone's voices, Elphie! I had a question on one of the short answers!"

The green girl slowly turned around, and it was clear to both young adults that she had been crying.

"Fiyero's gonna talk to you. I'm going to the library," Galinda said as she grabbed her books and stuffed them in her bag before leaving.

"I don't feel like talking," she whispered before turning back around.

Fiyero regarded the green girl for a moment. She clearly was very upset. "Okay. You don't have to talk. But just listen to me," he said, sitting down next to her. "I'm not going to ask why you didn't tell me, because I understand why you didn't. I'm sorry this happened to you at the worst possible time."

"Twenty years into my life?"

"I meant on the first day of finals," he chuckled softly.

Elphaba didn't laugh, and Fiyero immediately sobered.

"I understand what you're going through, and I wish I could tell you that this situation with the reporters gets better, but it doesn't."

"This isn't just about the reporters," Elphaba said, standing up and facing the prince. "I've always been treated differently. I've never had a chance to live a normal life. Now… now I'm just a different type of oddity. In case I wasn't enough of a freak already, let's just put a crown on my head and give me a country to rule."

"Elphaba –"

"And all of Oz knows this by now. My father… I mean the Governor… I mean… _ARGH_!" she exclaimed, flopping back down on her bed and covering her face with her hands.

Fiyero then realized that there was nothing he could say that would make Elphaba feel better, just like Galinda had said. Instead, he gently helped her sit up and hugged her close, letting her cry on his shoulder.

"This just complicates my life so much more," she muttered through her tears.

"I know."

"What am I going to say to him when I go home for the break?"

"I don't know," he said after a brief pause.

Elphaba continued to cry out most of her frustration and apprehension. When she finished, she was completely exhausted. She pulled herself closer to the prince, who quickly hugged her closer.

"Don't you have a final?" she asked, looking up at him.

"Not until later."

Elphaba rested her head against his chest and closed her eyes. All she wanted to do was sleep. "Fiyero?"

"Hmm?"

She slowly lifted her head to look at him. "Thank you."

The prince smiled. "You're welcome."


	7. A True Family Is

Finals week passed quickly. Elphaba had threatened to hex anyone who said anything about her being a princess, and everyone who wished to not be turned into something awful heeded her warnings. The reporters were now banned from the Shiz campus and anyone caught would be in serious trouble with the Wizard.

Oscar had written to Elphaba apologizing for the way the news broke and promising to find out how it had happened. _While it would now be considerably more difficult for you to turn down being Oz's next ruler, if that is your decision, I will stand by and support you,_ he had written her.

Elphaba had read the letter ten times before coming up with a response, saying that she didn't care who told. _I have made a promise to you to take the royal lessons until I make my decision in August and I intend to see this through until the end._

Finally, it was time to go home. She told Oscar she would go back to Munchkinland for the break instead of the palace. She still had to take care of her sister, after all.

"Elphie," Galinda said as they said their goodbyes. "Will you be alright?"

"I'll be fine," Elphaba nodded. "He can't do anything to me now that I'm the heir of Oz."

"Just…" Galinda tried, but ended up sighing and hugged her friend. "I'll miss you."

"I'll miss you, too, Glin," the green girl smiled, returning the hug. She turned and said a quick goodbye to Fiyero before joining her sister in the carriage and rode off back to Munchkinland.

"Have you decided what you'll tell Father?" Nessa asked once Shiz was far behind them.

"No," Elphaba said honestly. "What am I supposed to say?"

"I… don't know."

"It's just… the plan was to keep it a secret so I could still have the choice to accept or not. Now that all of Oz knows, it's sort of expected of me. If I didn't accept, that would be the end of it and I would pretend nothing ever happened. But now…"

"Now you have to accept."

"I don't _have_ to, but it would be harder for me to deny it."

The brunette nodded and the sisters sat in silence for a moment.

"Nessa?"

"Yes?"

"I want you to know that this… this doesn't change anything. We're still sisters." She gently took her hands in her own. "And nothing will ever change that. Do you understand? Never."

"I understand," she said softly. "And it's not your fault. This affects you more than me. It's your decision to make."

The girls rode in silence until they got to the Munchkinland boarder.

"Fabala?"

"Yes?"

"What would happen… after August… if you accepted?"

Elphaba bit her lip. "I… don't know."

"Would you go to live in the Emerald City palace… permanently?"

"I… don't know. Maybe I would go during the breaks? After graduation, I would probably have to. But the Wizard would definitely pick up the tuition bill."

Nessa giggled softly, then sobered. "And would you… change your last name?"

Elphaba blinked at her sister. "I probably would have to. Wouldn't I?"

"It would probably make sense to."

The elder Thropp couldn't tell what was going on in her sister's head, and it didn't settle well with her. When the reached Colwen Grounds, the Governor's Mansion came into view. Once they stopped in front of the large house, Elphaba busied herself with helping her sister down and getting her situated in her wheelchair. The doorman came down to get their luggage as Elphaba pushed her sister up the ramp into the house.

"Father! We're home!" Nessa called as soon as they entered.

"I'm going to unpack, Nessa," Elphaba said, taking the suitcases and hurrying away before her father could see her.

A few moments later, Frex came out of his office with a wide smile as he saw his daughter. "My precious Nessarose," he smiled as he knelt down to hug her. "I've missed you."

"I've missed you, too, Father," she said as she returned the hug.

"How was your first semester at Shiz?" he asked, pushing her into the parlor, where coffee and small cakes were waiting.

"It was okay. I really enjoyed my classes. Exam results will be mailed next week."

"How do you think you did?"

"Pretty well. Mathematics was my hardest test, but I still think I did okay."

"I know you did, my pet."

Nessa continued to fill her father in on the events of her first semester of college. She seemed to avoid the topic of Elphaba's new title and parentage, since it wasn't her news to talk about. Once she was finished, she announced that she was going to take a nap, to which Frex responded by asking about the whereabouts of his other daughter.

"She said she was going to unpack," Nessa said, biting back a frown. She really didn't want her father to make Elphaba feel worse.

The governor nodded and watched as Nessa wheeled away to her room, calling for one of the maids to help her. He hurried to his office, grabbed the newspaper from his desk, and made his way upstairs to Elphaba's room. Her door was open, though she was sitting on her bed with her back facing him. He knocked loudly, startling her as she turned around, and she immediately put down the book she was reading.

He wordlessly stepped into the room, the paper hidden behind his back, but Elphaba knew what he was going to talk to her about. He stood in front of her, remaining silent as her gaze slowly met his, then held out the paper.

"I suppose you want an explanation," she said when it was clear Frex wasn't going to initiate the conversation.

"That would be nice," he said emotionlessly.

She ran a hand through her hair. "Honestly, I don't know if I can give you one."

"How did all this start?"

"Morrible wrote to the Wizard once she found out that I had powerful magic."

"And _how_ did she find out?"

"I… may have accidentally sent Nessa's chair spinning out of control."

"You did _what_?!"

"It was an accident! And she wasn't hurt."

Frex made a face, but didn't say anything else.

"Anyway, Morrible wrote to the Wizard and he invited me to the palace to meet him. When we got there… he… he had Mother's bottle. Only it wasn't hers; it was _his_. And then the whole story came pouring out."

Frex didn't ask about the story, mostly because there were certain parts he didn't want to know. "Who knew before the news broke?"

"Me, Nessa, Galinda, and the Wizard." She omitted saying 'Madame Morrible' since she knew that would just start up more questions.

"Galinda? Isn't she your roommate?"

"Yes." She was silent for a moment before adding, "It was supposed to be a secret until August. That's how long the Wizard gave me to accept the title."

"He gave you a choice?"

"Yes. He didn't want to force me to do it, since it was all very sudden."

Frex was silent for a moment. "And when were you planning on telling me?"

"Later. And not like this. And in case you're wondering, you won't be receiving my tuition bill anymore. The Wizard graciously volunteered to pick up the tab."

"I wasn't thinking about that," Frex said.

Elphaba redirected her attention out the window.

"Is this what you want?"

"I don't know. It's pretty life altering when you think you're one person for twenty years and then you find out that it's all a lie." She looked back at her father. "Have you ever doubted if I was really yours?"

The governor stiffened. "When your mother told me she was pregnant, I had my questions, but I loved and trusted her more than anything. I didn't think anything of it until -"

"Until I was born. I'm sorry," Elphaba said, though she wasn't fully clear what she was specifically apologizing for. "If it helps, I already spoke to Nessa about this. She said that she'd be okay with whatever I decide. If you don't believe me, you can ask her."

"I don't doubt you."

Elphaba glanced at him. "You must be thrillified to finally find a valid reason to get rid of me after all these years. After all, why would you want someone living in your house who's not even related to you?"

Frex's silence was all the confirmation Elphaba needed. Or so she thought.

"After you were born, there were rumors surfacing that you weren't even mine," he said softly. "Your mother denied them with all her heart, and I believed her because I loved her so much. I believed that you were my punishment for traveling so much not being with her enough. When your sister was born and your mother died, I needed someone to blame."

"And you chose a two-year-old."

"I did. And I know it was wrong of me."

Elphaba stared at him. "Are you apologizing to me? Are you afraid that I'll excommunicate Munchkinland from the rest of Oz if you don't?"

"Elphaba –"

"Well, thank you, but I don't need your apology. If you want, I'll permanently move out of here after the break. I already have my own room at the palace. I'll continue to care for Nessa however I can, but during the breaks, I will be going to the palace."

"And what if you don't become the heir to Oz?"

"Then… I'll find someplace else to live."

"You'll come back here."

"Is that what you want?"

"Is _this_ what _you_ want?"

"You've never cared about what I wanted before. Why would you start now? You just found out that I am not your responsibility, and all of a sudden, you want to care about me? You're not even my real father."

"I raised you," Frex pointed out. "I fed, clothed, and sheltered you."

"But you didn't _care_ about me. You didn't care about my feelings or my needs and wants. You didn't _love_ me. You couldn't look past my skin enough to see me as a person – to see me as your _daughter_."

Frex was silent. He knew she was right.

"I finally have a chance to have what I always wanted, and I'm going to take that opportunity. If it doesn't work out, I'll figure something out. You don't have to worry about me. But I'll still take care of and be a great older sister to Nessa. I always have been and I will always continue to be."

Frex looked like he wanted to argue, but something stopped him. Instead, he simply sighed and nodded. "Alright."

The green girl watched as he left, lying back on her bed and sighing. In all honesty, that conversation went much better than she thought it would. She closed her eyes for a moment, just allowing her mind to wander. Finally, she got up and went to search for her sister.

She wandered around the ground floor before checking her bedroom. She found Nessa in bed, lying on top of her covers, her eyes half-closed.

"Nessa?" the green girl asked, coming into the room.

The brunette looked up. "Hi, Fabala."

Elphaba sat on the edge of the bed. "Can we talk?"

"Of course." Nessa had a good feeling she already knew what this was about, but knew she had to let her sister say everything she had to say.

"I spoke with…" She stopped, clearly struggling for what to say.

"My father," Nessa provided.

"Yeah. I told him everything that he didn't read in the paper and that… I have decided to move into the palace… permanently, or at least until August. That means that if I accept, I won't be coming back here."

"Then I'll have to get used to not having you home," Nessa said after processing what she heard, but quickly added, "But you'll have to get used to a whole new lifestyle."

" _If_ I accept."

"You will."

Elphaba glanced at her.

"I'm not blind to the way Father treats you, Fabala. If the Wizard has already put this much interest in you, he must really care about you." She gently took her sister's hands with a light squeeze. "You deserve to have a father who cares about you. Who can… see past your skin like the rest of us."

"'The rest of us' is you, Galinda, Fiyero, and Dr. Dillamond, but I see your point."

Nessa smiled and gave her sister a hug. "We'll enjoy our last holiday together?"

"Of course we will. And it won't be our last holiday together. It'll just be… my last one here."

"And you'll make Mama's apple pie?"

The green girl gently pulled away and smiled at her sister. "I'll teach you how to make it."

Nessa smiled back. "I'd like that."


	8. A Trip

Lurlinemas break passed quickly for Elphaba. She had a relatively okay holiday. She went to help Nessa up Lurlinemas morning and was greeted with a wide, cheerful smile from her sister. As usual, most of the presents under the tree were for Nessa, but Elphaba had two presents from her sister and surprisingly, one from Frex.

She gingerly took the box pulled out a golden hairbrush with soft bristles. She gasped, turning it over and seeing _Melena Skarr_ engraved on the handle in neat cursive.

"It was your mother's," Frex said simply.

"It's beautiful," Nessa smiled as she watched her sister examine the detailed work on the back of the brush.

"Thank you," Elphaba said sincerely to the governor, who nodded.

She cleaned out her room, having to borrow two of Nessa's suitcases, and looked around. For twenty years, this had been her sanctuary, her hideout, and her special space. It was small, but it was hers. She felt like a part of her was dying, but knew it would be replaced with something better.

It wasn't hard to say goodbye to the Governor's Mansion, nor was it hard to say goodbye to Munchkinland. She was never one for sentimental goodbyes, so her goodbye to Frex was brief and curt, as it always was.

On the way back to Shiz, Elphaba was quiet, but she didn't look troubled. She was calm, at peace with herself knowing that she did the right thing. She knew that it was also hard on her sister, but she appreciated her support.

Once they got back, Elphaba peeked out the window for signs of reporters. Morrible had assured her that they would be banned from the campus, but she had to make sure. Reporters were very sneaky in their ways of getting information.

Once she was assured she wouldn't be accosted, she got out and helped the driver with her sister and her chair. The girls quickly made their way back to their rooms, their driver using a large cart to carry their suitcases.

"What will you do with your extra things?" Nessa asked as her sister helped her bring her bags into her room.

"I'll bring them to the Emerald City. I go back in two weeks."

"Could I…"

"What?"

"Could I come with you one time to the Emerald City? I know you usually bring Galinda –"

"Of course you can come," Elphaba interrupted quickly.

"And could we see _'Wiz-O-Mania'_?"

Elphaba laughed. "I think once is enough for me, but I'm sure Galinda wouldn't say no to seeing it a second time."

Once she was sure her sister was settled, the green girl walked up the stairs to her room. It took her two trips since she couldn't bring the cart up the stairs, but she managed to do it on her own. The blonde still hadn't returned yet, leaving Elphaba alone to unpack. She put her suitcases from her room in her closet to go to the city. She unpacked her suitcase and put her books back on her desk and her clothes back in her closet.

Galinda came soon after and immediately demanded to know the news from over the break.

"Did you write to the Wizard?" she asked as she unpacked with Elphaba's help.

"A letter or two. It wasn't anything important."

"Are you going back this weekend?"

"No, next weekend. And… I invited Nessa."

Galinda glanced at her friend. "How did it go with your… um… ex-father?"

The green girl gave her friend a weird look. "Ex-father?"

"I don't know what else to call it."

"It was… surprisingly okay," Elphaba said thoughtfully. "We talked. There wasn't any yelling or crying. We just… had a civil conversation."

"That's good. It would have been horrendible for you to have parted on bad terms."

"Yeah. I suppose you're right."

"I know I am."

Once the girls were done unpacking, they went done to the café for a snack. Elphaba was met with a few stares and even more curtsies and bows, which annoyed her.

"Those are the same people who wouldn't stop calling me names and throwing things at me," she hissed to the blonde. "And now they're all deferential."

"They just don't want you to hex them," the blonde said with a light chuckle.

"I could have hexed them long before finding out that the Wizard is my father."

After having the weekend to relax, it was back to classes on Monday. This semester, Galinda didn't any classes until the afternoon, but Elphaba had one at ten AM. Once she got to her writing class, as soon as she walked through the door, everyone immediately stood and either bowed or curtsied.

Elphaba stared at them with wide eyes, blinked, then sighed as she made her way to a seat in the second row and sat down. Once she sat, everyone else sat as well. She took off her winter gear except for her scarf, since it had the Shiz emblem on it.

"Good morning, class," the professor, an Antelope, said as he walked in. "My name is Dr. Hyatt and welcome to Fictional Works and Writing. The first item of business, attendance."

Elphaba waited patiently for her name to be called. When the professor finally got to the 'T's, he paused briefly. "Um…"

"Elphaba Thropp?" the green girl spoke up, raising her hand. "Present."

The professor looked at her and nodded before writing something in his book. He began class by giving the class a short writing prompt. He wrote a sentence on the board and gave the class fifteen minutes to write a one-page story as he handed out notebooks.

 _The melody of the music box soothed me._

Elphaba thought for a moment before hurriedly scribbling in her notebook. She wrote a story about a young girl whose grandmother gave her a music box for her tenth birthday, and how, years later, she uses the melody to comfort her own children the way it had comforted her.

Once the fifteen minutes were up, Dr. Hyatt collected the notebooks and began talking about old fictional novels and why they are so famous.

"Yes, um…" Dr. Hyatt said, faltering as to what to call Elphaba.

"Elphaba," the green girl said, knowing that the professor didn't forget her name. "Just 'Elphaba' is fine."

"Miss Elphaba," he nodded.

" _'Heart of Gold'_ is a famous novel not because of the plot, but because the characters are three-dimensional and they speak and do things that actual people do. That's what makes them so relatable and lovable."

"Very good, Miss Elphaba," the professor nodded and continued with the lesson.

Soon, the class was over. Elphaba quickly packed her things and made for the door. A small cluster of students was already there, but the moment they saw Elphaba, they immediately stepped aside, clearing the doorway.

"Thank you," Elphaba said after staring at them for a moment before hurrying out. She walked out to the Science Building and up to the second floor to her Life Sciences class.

Once she walked in, the exact same thing happened. Everyone stood, but before they could bow or curtsy, Elphaba spoke up.

"Anyone who bows or curtsies is going to lose a limb."

It probably wasn't the most-princess-like thing she could have said, but it got the job done. Everyone immediately sat back down. Satisfied, Elphaba sat at a lab table and took out a brand new notebook.

By the time she returned to her room later that evening, she was exhausted. She hadn't been in her room since that morning, having bounced around between the different buildings, the café, and the library. She flopped down on her bed, her lower back aching.

Galinda, whose nose was buried in an OzTeen Magazine, looked up slightly. "Tough day?"

"Yeah. Dealing with everyone was exhausting."

"You didn't hex anyone, did you?"

"No…"

"Did you _threaten_ to hex anyone?"

"… Maybe… But they were asking for it…"

Galinda sighed. "I hope Madame Jabal has a 'temper management session' planned soon."

"Well, I wouldn't have to control my temper if people weren't so infuriating."

"You're going to have to deal with infuriating people, Elphie. You'll have to learn how to remain calm and not fly off the handle."

Elphaba glared at the blonde, but was ignored. Sighing, she decided to take a quick nap before dinner. She knew her friend was right, even if she didn't want to admit it out loud.

* * *

The next morning, Madame Morrible called all the first-year students together in the assembly hall to talk about their annual Day Of Service projects.

"Every year, the first year class is divided into groups and they go throughout Shiz and the surrounding cities doing good works for the community," she explained as the two upper-class girls handed out papers with their group assignments. "This is your chance to make a difference, and as Shiz creates and molds Oz's future leaders, I trust I will not be disappointed. Now, I should also mention that this is a graduation requirement. All first-years who do not attend _and_ participate will not graduate unless they complete a supplemental assignment for me. And I can assure you, the supplemental assignment will not be an easy one."

Elphaba looked at the paper to see who her group would be. She would be with Galinda, Jellia Henden, Randon Artiez, and Uzric Bachaaum going to the Shiz Orphanage and Transitional Home.

"All groups will meet in their designated areas Saturday morning at eight-thirty sharp. And you must be in uniform. Everyone is dismissed."

"We're in the same group," the blonde giggled, linking arms with her best friend as they left the assembly hall.

"And Fiyero's in Nessa's group going to the Dixxi Second Home Senior Center," Elphaba smiled.

"Wait… don't you have to go back to the Emerald City?"

"I'll write to Oscar. He'll understand that this is a graduation requirement and I don't want to find out what'll happen if I miss it."

Saturday morning came quickly. Surprisingly, Galinda was up before the green girl and had to shake her awake. Elphaba had been up late finishing her writing assignment and had no desire to get up early. Eventually, she slowly slid out of bed and got ready. They put on their uniforms and bundled up before heading outside.

When they got there, Jellia and Uzric were already waiting. Jellia was in Elphaba's writing class, and while she didn't have any classes with Uzric, she had seen him around the campus a few times.

"Hi, Elphaba," Jellia said with a small smile.

"Hi, Jellia," the green girl smiled back. Jellia had never been horrible to her (at least, not to her face), but she never went out of her way to be super nice.

Uzric simply gave her a polite nod before looking back down at the ground. Randon arrived soon after, running and huffing as he called out 'Here!' as soon as Morrible called his name. Once everyone was present and accounted for, they went with their groups to the waiting mini-trolleys to take them to their destinations.

The Shiz Orphanage and Transitional Home wasn't very far from the campus. It took around fifteen minutes to get there, and the director, Mr. Harv Pruntz, met them at the door.

"Welcome, Shiz students," he smiled, then noticed Elphaba.

Before he could say anything, Elphaba held up her hand and shook her head with a soft smile. Today wasn't supposed to be about her.

Understanding, he simply nodded and led everyone inside, telling them to hang up their coats in the hallway closet. "The orphans live in the boarding houses in large community rooms," he explained, leading them up a flight of stairs. "The children staying with their parents in the transitional part live in small apartments on the other side. The families stay here for up to a year, then we help them find homes all across Oz. We help both humans and Animals."

He led them down the hall and opened a large set of double doors. Inside, it was some sort of rec room with a multitude of children and Animals inside. Some were running around together, others sat at a table and colored.

"How old are these kids?" Randon asked, looking around.

"Right now, the five to eight-year-olds have play time in here. The nine to twelve year olds are outside on the playground, and the teenagers are in the gym downstairs," Mr. Pruntz answered.

The students dispersed and began to interact with the children. Galinda sat down with a group of five-year-olds coloring, while Uzric played basketball with the boys. Jellia and Randon went over to a group of older looking Animals and started playing a board game with them.

Elphaba walked around for a bit, looking around the room. The children who noticed her immediately stopped whatever activity and stared at her, but she didn't let that bother her. She saw two children, a little boy and a female Lion, take out a game of dominoes and walked over to them.

"Hi," she said, grabbing their attention. "May I join you?"

The two stared at her for a moment before shrugging their indifference and setting up the game. It took a while, but the two children, who Elphaba found out were named Ebaline and Kilyer, warmed up to her and started asking her questions.

"Were you born green?" Kilyer asked. "Or did you turn green by eating a lot of vegetables? My mommy says that you are what you eat."

"If that were true, then she'd _be_ a vegetable, not just the _color_ of one," Ebaline countered.

"Either way, I don't like eating vegetables." He looked to Elphaba, waiting for her answer.

"I was born green," Elphaba answered, taking her turn.

"Why?"

"I… don't know." Sure, she lied, but the children wouldn't understand and she really didn't want them asking more questions about her skin.

"You look familiar," the young Lion said, tilting her head as she studied the green girl.

"I do?" Elphaba asked, deciding to entertain them.

Ebaline nodded. "Yeah. I just can't remember where I saw you before."

"How could you forget seeing someone with green skin?" Kilyer asked with an eye roll, and Elphaba had to bite back her laughter.

By the time they finished their game (Kilyer won), Ebaline still hadn't figured out where she had seen Elphaba before. Elphaba chuckled softly and said that she was going to join another group, but when she figured it out, to come and let her know.

Ebaline seemed satisfied and watched as Elphaba walked away. Galinda had joined in on the board game with Jellia, while Randon was playing with the blocks with a young Zebra, Donkey, and Lamb. Uzric was putting his art major skills to work by teaching a group of boys the art of finger-painting. Elphaba heard a soft cough and turned to see a young girl sitting all by herself in a corner. Her legs were pulled up to her chest and her arms wound tightly against her knees. Her light brown hair was held back in a messy ponytail, held by a loose, red ribbon.

Elphaba slowly approached the girl and knelt down next to her. "Hello."

The girl startled slightly, but didn't look at the green girl.

"What's your name?"

"Zola," the little girl said softly, still not looking at her.

"It's nice to meet you, Zola. I'm Elphaba."

The girl was silent.

"How old are you?"

"Six."

"Why are you over here all by yourself? Why aren't you playing with the other kids?"

"I can't play with them because I can't see them… or anything at all."

Elphaba leaned over a bit more and saw the little girl's dark blue eyes vibrating uncontrollably back and forth, not focusing on anything.

"I can't run around like they can, and they don't want to play with me. They're too loud."

"Well, would you like to play with me?"

Zola wrinkled her nose. "You don't sound like a kid."

Elphaba laughed. "I'm not. I go to Shiz University."

"The big-kid school?"

"Yes. The big-kid school."

"What are you doing here?"

"Some of us came to have a very special day with all of you."

Zola thought for a moment. "Could you read to me?"

"Of course. Can you come help me to pick out a book?"

The little girl frowned. "I can't help."

"I think you can," she said, gently taking the little girl's hand and giving it a squeeze.

Zola slowly rose to her feet and shuffled behind the green girl, one hand holding hers, and the other holding onto her long skirt. Elphaba walked slow, making sure she wasn't going to fast for the little girl. They finally made it to the bookshelf and Elphaba looked down at the books.

"Alright, Zola. What type of stories do you like?"

"Magical princesses!"

Elphaba had to laugh at that (for more reasons than one) as she looked through the children's books. "Alright, magical princess. We have _'The Magic Music Box', 'The Unicorn's Journey', 'The Mermaid Queen', 'The_ –"

"That one, please!"

"Alright, _'The Mermaid Queen'_ it is," Elphaba said as she took the book and sat on the rug with the little girl sitting comfortably next to her.

As she read, she noticed out of her peripheral vision that more of the children were slowly starting to sit around her and listen to the story. She looked down at Zola, who was clearly very invested in the story. Soon, she found herself to be the designated story reader, with children handing her book after book for her to read to them. Even Galinda, Jellia, Randon, and Uzric sat down, surrounded by the children, and listened to Elphaba. She read story after story, only having a break when it was time for lunch. But the second she finished her sandwich, a boy handed her another story to read.

"Alright, children," Mr. Pruntz said as he came in two hours later. "It's time for our guests to leave now."

The children whined, clearly not wanting story time to end.

"What do we say?"

"Thank you!" they all chorused together.

"You're welcome, everyone!" Galinda smiled as she and her friends stood.

The kids all gave the university students hugs as they prepared to leave.

"Do you have to leave now?" Zola asked as she clung to Elphaba's hand.

"I do," Elphaba said gently.

"Will you come back?"

"I'll try to. Can I have a hug, Zola?"

The little girl quickly wrapped her arms around the green girl's waist and Elphaba gently hugged her back.

"Ebaline! Kilyer!" the green girl called. The children turned and hurried over to her. "Why don't you two play with Zola?"

Kilyer frowned. "But she's –"

"A new friend to play with," she interrupted quickly, giving the children a pointed look.

"We were gonna play over there," Ebaline said, pointing to a group of kids. "We were gonna use the big matching cards."

"Then one of you could help Zola."

"Okay," the young Lion cub said, taking gently taking Zola's hand in her paw.

Zola seemed surprised to feel the fur against her palm, but smiled softly as she followed her back to the group.

Elphaba watched with a smile, then turned to leave with her classmates.

"I had fun," Randon smiled as they rode back.

"I did, too. The children and Animals were so sweet," Jellia added. "And I think Uzric picked up a girlfriend."

The girls giggled as Uzric blushed, referring to the seven-year-old girl who followed him around the entire time.

"My favorite part was Elphaba's story time," Randon smiled at the green girl.

"Mine, too," Galinda nodded, giving the green girl a knowing look.

"Okay, I had a good time, too," Elphaba admitted. "The children were very nice. Very _inquisitive_ , but nice. A Lion cub thought she saw me before, but couldn't remember where."

"It was probably in the newspaper," Uzric suggested softly.

"Most likely."

"It's too bad they have to live like that. From what I've seen, they're outgrowing the center. And it has to be a transitional home and an orphanage. They should be two separate facilities," Galinda said, sending a discreet, yet knowing, glance to Elphaba.

The rest of the ride back to Shiz was spent talking about the children. Elphaba said quiet, deep in thought, and Galinda knew exactly what she was thinking about.

"You know," she said when they got back to their room. "You could help them. You could help them and lots of other people like them in Oz. And you know how."

"I know."

"You have a good heart, Elphie. And I'm glad I got to see that side of you today."

Elphaba smiled. "Thank you. But between the two of us, I never want to see another book about a magical fairy princess who slays the monstrous green giant."

"Even if the scary giant turned into a handsome prince at the end?"

"That was the _worst_ part."

Galinda fell onto her bed from laughter.

* * *

 **Yes, the shelter and the kids will be important later.**


	9. The Big Decision

As January rolled into February, most classes were canceled due to snow. The students took advantage of that and spent most of their time outside having snowball fights, making snow angels, or sledding down the hill.

Elphaba spent most of this newfound free time with her sister. Nessa couldn't play in the snow because of her chair, and Elphaba thought snow was too cold to play in. They mostly studied and chatted together, and Nessa helped her sister by quizzing her on her royal studies.

"Now, during a royal state dinner, who sits next to the duke?"

Elphaba closed her eyes and thought for a moment. "The… margreave?"

"Yes," Nessa smiled, then turned the page in the book. "What is the proper greeting title for a duke?"

"Your Grace," Elphaba said immediately. "That was an easy one."

"Good. What is the order of traditional dances at a society ball?"

"Waltz, Allemande, Folk Jig, and the Minuet."

"That's the order for a private court ball."

"Then… Waltz, Allemande, Minuet, and Folk Jig."

"And don't forget the Landler. That's after the…"

"Minuet." Elphaba looked at the clock. "Thanks for your help, Nessie. I have to go to Morrible's sorcery seminar now."

"I can't believe Madame Morrible's the only one who didn't cancel class today," Nessa said as she watched her sister pack up.

"She'd still hold class if the world was ending and everything was ablaze and that class was the only thing left in the world."

The brunette chuckled and waved to her sister as she left. When Elphaba got to the room, Morrible was already there, setting up.

"Ah, Miss Elphaba," Morrible nodded when she saw the green girl. "I'm glad someone managed to come to class."

A few minutes later, Galinda ran in, covered in snow, exclaiming, "I'm not late!"

"You're not early, either," Morrible frowned.

"I'm exactly on time."

"Class starts exactly at one o'clock. That means everyone needs to be ready to start. And since it seems like it will only be you two today, I will be forgiving and not mark you late, Miss Upland."

"Thank you, Madame," was all the blonde could say as she quickly got settled.

If she was honest with herself, Elphaba enjoyed the sorcery seminar. She took it to keep her powers under control, but it was somewhat fun, despite that it was taught by Horrible Morrible. It took practice, but she was now at the point where she could get emotional and not risk setting something on fire. It also helped her with controlling her temper, which she was sure would be useful no matter what she chose.

She also found herself progressing with Madame Jabal. It took a lot of work and help from Galinda, Nessa, and even Fiyero. The green girl had invited the prince with her to practice dancing.

The time she spent with the Vinkun prince increased as the days went on. She really enjoyed his company, and he gave very useful advice about how to deal with her potential new life. They spent lots of time on and off campus together, leading many people to think they were dating.

"Well, would it be an incorrect assumption?" Fiyero asked, picking up the magazine that Elphaba had carelessly tossed aside. He looked at the picture of them walking back to campus, holding hands with the headline, _'A Royal Night Out: Vinkun Crown Princess and Oz's Heir Dating?'._

It was common knowledge that the Wizard had given Elphaba until August to formally accept or renounce the title, but that didn't stop the press from still publishing articles about what she would be like as a princess.

Elphaba slowly looked up at him. "Would it?"

"I… wouldn't like it to be."

"Are… are you asking if you want to be… boyfriend and… girlfriend?"

"Do you want to be?"

Elphaba sighed. "We really need to stop answering each other's questions with more questions."

The prince chuckled. "We do?"

"Fiyero!"

"Yes?"

"Stop it!"

"Stop what?"

"Doing that!"

"Doing what?"

"You _know_ what! It's driving me crazy!"

The prince smirked as he sat next to the green girl and pulled her close. "Is it?"

Elphaba pushed his face away from hers, but he pushed her hand away and gently pressed his lips against hers. She was surprised, but quickly melted into the kiss, wrapping her arms around his neck. Fiyero responded by wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her even closer. They eventually pulled apart, their breath mixing together. Elphaba was blushing deeply, brushing a section of hair behind her ear.

"Yero," she whispered, resting her head against his chest.

"Fae," he whispered back.

"Fae?"

"That's been your nickname in my head for quite some time."

"Where did you come up with that?"

"'Fiyero and Elphaba' is F.A.E. Fae. I'm creative, I know."

" _What?_ "

"It sounds cute, so I'm sticking with it. Don't ruin the moment."

"At least I stuck with something closer to your name and not an acro-"

He stopped her by kissing her again. "Didn't I tell you not to ruin the moment?" he mumbled when they pulled away, their noses touching.

"Yes," Elphaba said with a slight smirk. "Forgive me."

"There's nothing to forgive."

The two cuddled in silence for a moment. "Yero?"

"Yes, Fae?"

"If the tabloids and magazines and paper say we're dating… I… wouldn't want for it to be an untrue statement."

"Are you saying you want to date just to please the press?"

"No… quite the opposite, actually. I'm saying that… I like spending time with you. You've understood me throughout this whole process better than Galinda and Nessa could. And I'm not saying that I'm ungrateful to them. It's just they don't understand what it feels like to have to do all… this."

He grinned. "Is this you giving me permission to formally court you?"

Elphaba rolled her eyes. "You're an idiot for using such an old fashioned word like 'court', but yes."

The prince stood and bowed deeply before kissing the back of her hand. "I graciously thank you, Your Royal Highness. I vow to be the most chivalrous and swankified swain in all of Oz."

Elphaba bit back a chuckle, but decided to play along. "The privilege is all mine, Your Royal Swankified Swaininess."

* * *

 _Meet me in the lab room after lunch._

Fiyero stared at the note before briefly glancing up at Elphaba. She _never_ passed notes during class, so this must have been important.

 _Okay_ , he scribbled before slyly sliding it back to her.

After lunch, he arrived in the lab to find Nessa and Galinda already there, looking just as confused as he was.

"Do you know what this is about?" Nessa asked after greeting the prince as he sat down on a high stool.

"No idea. Fae slipped me a note during class. And she never passes notes."

"This must be serious."

"This must be about her big decision," Galinda suggested.

"I thought she had until August."

"She does, but that doesn't mean she can't decide early."

"We'll just have to wait for her to come and find out."

As if on cue, Elphaba came in and closed the door behind her.

"Hi, Fabala," Nessa smiled, having not seen her sister since the previous day.

"Hi," Elphaba smiled, clearly distracted about something as she put her bag down on the table. "Thanks for meeting me here."

"It must be pretty serious since you were passing notes during class," Fiyero said, and Nessa raised an eyebrow at the green girl.

"Yeah. I just wanted you three to be the first to know."

"First to know what?" Galinda asked, though she already had a good idea.

"This is about my decision to become the official heir to Oz."

They all held their breath, waiting for Elphaba to finish.

"After weighing all of the pros and cons, I have decided…"

"Yes?" Galinda asked eagerly when Elphaba paused.

"I have decided to… to accept."

The tension in the room immediately vanished. Fiyero beamed and Galinda squealed as she wrapped her arms around her best friend. Nessa grinned at her sister, wiping a tear from her eye.

"That's Ozmazifying, Elphie!" the blonde smiled, releasing the green girl and allowing her to hug her sister. "I'm so happy for you!"

"It wasn't an easy decision," Elphaba said as she accepted a kiss from her boyfriend. "I thought about all the power and responsibility, and if something went wrong, how easy it would be to blame me. But I still have to try. Going to that shelter really helped me to see the difference I could make not just here, but in all of Oz."

"Did you write to the Wizard?" Nessa asked.

Elphaba shook her head. "I still have to respond to his last letter. I'll include this in there. Also, this news doesn't leave this room. And that doesn't mean you bring people into this room to tell them." The latter part was directed at Galinda.

"Why are you all looking at me?" the blonde asked, glancing around at her friends.

"Why do you think?" Nessa asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I promise not to breathe a word to anyone," Galinda said like it was obvious.

Elphaba nodded and slowly relaxed. "This is going to send all of Oz into a field day."

"Let them have a field day," Fiyero said, wrapping his arm around her shoulders. "Oz deserves to celebrate having a new princess."

"He's right," the blonde smiled, taking her best friend's hand.

"That sounds wonderful," Elphaba said, only half-sarcastically.

The four friends laughed and walked out together, with the news staying behind in the lab. The Wizard's response to Elphaba's letter came the week after she sent it. It also included some more news.

"Celebrating your twenty-first birthday in the palace! I love that idea!" Galinda beamed after Elphaba read her the letter.

"It sounds like he was trying to phrase a suggestion as an invitation," Elphaba said with a look the blonde couldn't quite identify. "And instead of waiting until August, he wants to present me as the official heir to Oz then."

"What's wrong with that? You wrote to him to tell him you want to be his official heir."

"I know. But what if I have second thoughts afterward? What if I can't do the job? What if I make a mistake? What if I can't fix that mistake? What if I –"

"What if you're the best ruler Oz has ever seen? What if you make a difference for the better?" Galinda countered.

"You've been spending too much time with me," Elphaba said through a smile.

"You say that like it's a bad thing," the blonde chuckled, then hugged her friend. "All of Oz will join the festivations. Just think: celebrations throughout Oz that's all to do with you."

Elphaba looked at the letter again. "He wants to throw a big ball at the palace. I never had a birthday party before, and I don't want to celebrate my birthday with a bunch of strangers."

"We could have a small get-together earlier that day," Galinda suggested. "Just you, me, Fiyero, Nessa, and The Wizard. The big party would be later that night. Hosting and attending big parties is just another part of your future. Plus, I know you didn't learn all those different dances to not put them to good use."

"You're right," Elphaba sighed, folding the letter and putting it back in the envelope.

"As usual, I know," the blonde nodded, tossing her hair over her shoulder before going back to her bed. "And speaking of parties, there's an end-of-winter dance at the Ozdust at the beginning of next month. We should go."

Elphaba sighed. "Glin –"

"Please, Elphie?"

"What is the point of an end-of-winter dance? We're going to have a spring dance four weeks later."

"It's to say goodbye to winter and welcome spring."

"I'm sure spring will feel welcomed even if we didn't have a dance."

"Will you please come? It'll be so much fun."

"I don't want to attend more parties than I have to."

"Okay," Galinda said slowly, pulling her training wand from under her bed.

"What are you doing?" Elphaba asked, watching as Galinda went over to her closet.

"Now, are you going to come to this party, or am I going to have to turn all of your clothes pink?" She waved her wand and pointed it at one of Elphaba's dresses. Nothing happened. Frowning, she lightly slapped it against her leg before trying again. Still nothing. "Is this thing on?"

Elphaba couldn't help but laugh. Some things never change. "Alright. I'll go to the dance. If only to stop you from changing the color of my entire wardrobe."

"Good," Galinda said, hitting the wand against her bed, still trying to turn it on. The familiar magic sparkles danced at the tip and the blonde smiled before pointing it at the green girl, changing her uniform into a short, frilly, pink dress.

"GALINDA UPLAND!" Elphaba gasped, jumping up and looking at her new outfit. "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!"

"Pink goes good with green!" the blonde laughed, her arms wrapped tightly around her waist as she doubled over.

"I am going to end. Your. Life," the green girl growled, her face devoid of all expressions other than murderous.

Galinda squeaked as Elphaba lunged at her and ran around the room, still laughing. She knew her life was most likely in danger, but the sight of her best friend wearing her favorite party dress completely took the fear from her body. She pointed her wand at her again and this time, Elphaba's hair curled and was pulled into two pigtails, both tied with matching pink ribbons.

"You _will_ pay for this!" Elphaba hissed, still chasing the blonde about the room. "Change my clothes and hair back _now_!"

"But you look like a _princess_!"

"And _you're_ going to look like a fruit fly when I catch you!"

"You mean _if_ you catch me," the blonde smirked, throwing open the door to their room and running out. She knew her roommate wasn't going to leave the room looking like that.

"You're _soooooo_ dead!" Elphaba shouted down the hall before closing the door and locking it behind her. Sighing, she looked down at the pink dress before hurriedly taking it off and putting on another uniform, and pulled the ribbons out of her hair.

 _When I'm queen_ , Elphaba thought as she sat down on her bed, glaring at the dress. _I'm outlawing the color pink._

* * *

 **Yes, Elphaba finally accepted the job! And when she becomes queen, Galinda will have to find a new color that goes with green.**


	10. Planned Played Party

Nessa had managed to convince her sister not to go too hard on her roommate, since she needed her for a biology lab assignment. Instead, Elphaba made every single non-uniform clothing item Galinda owned black, including her underclothes. When the blonde found out, she screamed so loud, snow fell off of the tree outside.

"Elphaba, this isn't funny!" she frowned, pulling out a black skirt. "Black and blonde don't mix!"

"Neither do pink and green," Elphaba said nonchalantly from her desk, where she was trying to study.

"I said I was sorry."

"No, you didn't."

"Yes, I did. Just now."

Elphaba turned and glanced at her. "It wasn't very sincere, nor was it convincing enough for me to not only forgive you, but also undo my spell."

"Fine," Galinda sighed. "Elphie, I'm very sorry I put you in a frilly pink dress."

"And pigtails."

"And pigtails."

"And matching pink ribbons."

"But those were so _cute_!"

"Galinda…"

"And the matching pink ribbons," she huffed.

Elphaba smirked. "And I won't complain with Queen Elphaba outlaws pink throughout Oz."

"You'll do _what_ now?"

"Say it."

"No!"

"Well, then it looks like black is going to be this year's pink after all."

"Elphie…"

"Fine. Then I'll just ban you from wearing pink."

"That's cruel!" the blonde frowned, crossing her arms and turned away from the green girl. "You're mean!"

"I suppose I am pushing it a bit. I'm only teasing, Glin. Of course I forgive you," she said, standing and climbing onto the blonde's bed and giving her a hug.

"You won't outlaw pink or ban me from wearing it, will you?" the blonde asked with wide, tear-filled eyes and her bottom lip sticking out slightly.

"No," Elphaba smiled softly. "Of course not."

"Good. Now, please change my clothes back."

Elphaba muttered a quick incantation and the clothes returned to normal, and the two were once again the best of friends, even though they never stopped.

As the date of the Ozdust party approached, Elphaba mind was still preoccupied with princess-things.

"When we go back to the city, I'm going to go to the town hall and legally change my last name," Elphaba said casually to Glin as they prepared for bed.

"To what?" Galinda asked, not missing a beat.

"Well… Oscar's last name is Diggs."

"Do you happen to know his full name?"

She had to think for a moment. "Oscar Zoroaster Isaac Emmanuel Diggs."

The blonde's eyes widened. "Is it normal to have three middle names where he's from?"

"From what I know, it's not very common. Apparently, his parents couldn't decide what his middle name should be, so they went with their top three choices. He told me privately that one weekend when I went to the palace alone."

"What about having your last name be Thropp-Diggs?"

Elphaba cringed. "Oz, no! That's what the papers were calling me. It's just… weird. I want a fresh start. Just… Diggs is fine. Besides, 'Thropp' and 'Diggs' both have one syllable, so the change won't be _that_ drastic or dramatic… although I'm sure the press would find a way to make it."

"That's understandable." The blonde glanced at her friend, who was staring off into space. "What are you thinking about?"

"Just about… how different my life would have been if I had grown up with the Wizard as my father. How I could have been loved and appreciated and maybe a bit spoiled."

Galinda wasn't sure how to respond to that, or even if she was supposed to respond to that.

"I probably would have been even more stressed, though. Growing up knowing that I would have to rule and keep four separate countries unified is quite a job."

"But you have great problem-solving skills."

"You're the one who told me that 'Get along or I'll hex you to Quox!' wasn't an acceptable thing to say to feuding parties."

"I was right, but you've improved greatly."

"Gee, thanks."

"Anytime."

Finally, March arrived, as did the night of the Ozdust party. Fiyero had been ecstatic that Elphaba had agreed to go and promised to pick her up around eight. The green girl allowed her best friend to get her ready, which consisted of curling her hair and pulling half of it up into an elegant bun. The only makeup Elphaba agreed to wear was a bit of blush and eye shadow, but Galinda added some mascara anyway. Again, she opted to wear her contact lenses.

"I want to have fun tonight," Elphaba admitted softly. "This is my first night off from being Shiz's official bookworm. The glasses can have some time off, too."

"Okay, who are you and what have you done with my roommate?"

Elphaba laughed. "Like you said, hosting and attending parties are a big part of my future. Who are you going with again?"

"Minko Starventon. He's a second-year. He's meeting me there."

By the time Fiyero arrived, both girls were ready. As soon as the prince saw his date, his jaw dropped open.

Elphaba wore a dark navy dress with a square neckline and long sleeves. The skirt of her dress stopped at her ankles. A golden belt hugged her waist and thick, black tights covered her legs. A shawl matching her dress added extra coverage to her arms and she wore a fancier version of her black boots.

"You look beautiful," Fiyero smiled, stepping into the room and softly kissing her cheek.

"Thank you," the green girl smiled.

"I never realized how beautifully brown your eyes are. They're always hidden behind your glasses. You should wear them less often. It's so much easier to look into your eyes without them."

"You wish for me to be practically blind?" Elphaba said with a sideways look.

"That's not what I meant."

She laughed and grabbed her coat. "I know, Yero."

"Can you… um…"

"I'm wearing my contacts. I usually hate wearing them because they irritate my eyes if I leave them in for too long, but I'll be fine for tonight."

The walk to the Ozdust wasn't very long. Fifteen minutes after leaving the campus, they arrived. As soon as they entered the room, they were greeted with loud conversation and even louder music from the record player and speaker.

 _Dear Oz_ , Elphaba thought, following Fiyero to a nearby table. She spotted her sister talking to Boq, giggling madly over something he said that, apparently, she found hilarious.

She sat down and the prince announced that he was going to get some food. He came back with two plates of ham and cheese sandwiches, small chicken wings and carrot sticks with dip. He set them down and as Elphaba snacked on the sandwiches, Fiyero went to get their drinks.

"What's in the punch?" Elphaba asked as he set the drink down in front of her.

"Berries and cherries and grapes."

"Oh my!" Elphaba blinked. She took a small sip and scrunched up her face.

"What is it?"

"This is spiked," she said, pushing the cup away.

Fiyero took a large gulp and loudly smacked his lips. "You're right. I'm gonna get another cup."

Elphaba sighed, already knowing she would probably have to drag the prince's drunken self back to his dorm. She looked around for the blonde, who was already dancing with her promised date. She nibbled on the carrots, and Fiyero soon came back with his drink.

"Let's dance," he said suddenly as a new song began to play.

"What?"

"Let's dance." Smiling, the prince gently pulled Elphaba to her feet and led her to the dance floor.

"I don't suppose you can do the Folk Jig to this song," the green girl said with a hopeful smile.

The prince laughed. "Probably not." He led her in a more modern dance that involved a lot of hip movements and spinning. He spun her into his arms and held her close. "You smell nice."

"Lavender. Galinda's perfume," she supplied, spinning out.

A few eyes had rested on the two royals dancing together, but they were blocked out of their minds. To Elphaba and Fiyero, they were the only ones there. No one, nor nothing, else mattered. It was just their special time. Elphaba found herself having a truly fun time, and she relished that feeling.

As soon as the song ended, someone tapped on the stage microphone and everyone turned.

"Thank you all for coming tonight," Pfannee said with a bright smile. "And now, it is time to announce our special guest for the evening."

"Special guest?" Fiyero blinked. "There wasn't anything about a special guest on the flyers."

"Everyone, please give a big round of applause for Her Royal Highness, Princess Elphaba!"

Fiyero turned to see Elphaba's eyes widen before she was pulled away from him and to the center of the dance floor. Everyone stepped back and gave the green girl the entire dance floor.

"What in Oz…" the blonde whispered. She had been pushed to the back and could hardly see what was going on. She looked up and saw a large bucket right above where Elphaba was standing. "Oh no…"

"After all that dancing, you must be very hot," Pfannee said to Elphaba. "Allow us to help you… cool off."

Before Elphaba could react, the bucket above her turned over, pouring something cold and slimy. A bit got in her mouth and she sputtered, an awful taste filling her mouth. She wiped the substance from her eyes and realized it was mud. She tried to run, but slipped and fell on her back, staining her dress even further.

"We figured the perfect gift to you was a refreshing, mud-spa treatment," Pfannee smirked. "Only the _best_ for royalty."

Galinda pushed her way through the crowd of laughing and jeering students and paused at the sight of her friend. "Oh, Elphie," she whispered, taking her friend's arm and helping her to her feet, ignoring the mud beginning to also stain her outfit. She only had to glance at Fiyero and he was by Elphaba's side in a flash with her coat. He wrapped it around her shoulders and led her outside with the blonde.

As soon as they opened the door, they were greeted with camera flashes and shouting reporters and paparazzi. She had been set up. All of this had been planned. Elphaba frowned, tore away from her friends, and bolting away from the noise, her coat lying disregarded on the ground.

"Fae!" Fiyero cried, picking up her coat and running after her, with Galinda not very far behind him.

Elphaba ran all the way back to the school, ignoring her boyfriend and best friend's calls for her to slow down. She made it back to Crage Hall and hurried to her room, fussing with the lock before using her magic to open it. The door flew off its hinges and she ran in. She collapsed onto her bed, not caring that she was messing up her sheets, and sobbed into her pillow.

Fiyero and Galinda finally made it up to the room. Galinda was barefoot, holding her broken heels in her hand, but at the moment, her shoes were the least of her worries. They both jumped back at the sight of the door and exchanged a look before Galinda cautiously approached her friend and lightly placed her hand on her shoulder. "Elphie?"

"Don't touch me!" the green girl cried, shrugging the blonde's hand away.

Galinda jumped back. She knew she had to choose her words very carefully, lest she end up like the door. She took a deep breath. What could she say? There was nothing she could say to make Elphaba stop crying.

"Pfannee's awful," she finally decided on. "I'll make sure she pays."

Elphaba ignored her friend.

Fiyero stepped forward and slowly lowered himself onto the bed, pulling Elphaba into his arms. At first, Elphaba fought to get away, but as Fiyero held her close and gently rubbed her back, she eventually calmed down.

"Why don't you go get cleaned up?" the prince whispered gently. "I hate having the mud interfere with your sweet, lavender scent."

Elphaba wiped her face and slowly pushed herself up. Her roommate handed her a clean nightgown, which she accepted with a forced, small smile before disappearing into the bathroom. While she showered, Galinda and Fiyero replaced the stained covers with clean ones. When Elphaba came out, Galinda immediately ushered her to her own bed and sat her down on the pink comforter.

"Do you want some hot chocolate?" Fiyero asked as Galinda gently combed her wet hair.

The green girl shook her head. Fiyero gently pulled her closer and she rested her head against his shoulder. Galinda was able to work around them, knowing that Elphaba really needed to be hugged by her boyfriend.

"I'm sorry this happened to you," Fiyero said honestly.

"I've dealt with worse," the green girl whispered with a frown.

Fiyero kissed her forehead. "That still doesn't make this okay."

"This is going to be everywhere tomorrow."

"I know. And we'll handle it together."

"Yeah," Elphaba said softly, clearly finished talking about it for the night.

The prince nodded and kissed her again before standing up. "I'll see you tomorrow. Good night."

"Okay," Elphaba nodded. "Good night."

"Good night, Fiyero. And thank you," the blonde smiled, braiding Elphaba's hair as the prince left.

Once she was finished, the blonde stood up and, grabbing her wand, waved it with a quick fixing spell to right the door. She gently swung the door to test it before closing it, turning her attention back to her roommate. "I'm going to get ready for bed. Don't forget to take your contacts out."

Elphaba watched as her friend disappeared into the bathroom. By the time she came out, her contacts were out and she was almost fast asleep.

"Goodnight, Elphie," she heard the blonde whisper as she got into bed.

"Goodnight, Glin," she whispered back.

* * *

 **No, becoming the Heir to Oz wasn't going to immediately stop the bullying. But this will be the _least_ of Elphaba's worries.**


	11. A Royal Night In

Elphaba stared at her picture on the front page of the newspaper. This was just what she expected.

"This isn't as bad as it looks. The press has caught me in situations like this and it blows over soon enough," Fiyero said, kissing her cheek.

"Don't worry, Elphie. They'll now be too busy covering your birthday ball. Once that happens, everyone will forget all about this," Galinda said.

"Glin's right, Fabala," Nessa spoke up. "That news will outshine this."

"Especially since your party will be perfect."

Elphaba smiled at her friends. "Thanks, guys." She reached over the table and took the letter from the Wizard. He was furious that she had been set up like that and promised that the people responsible for the press stories would pay. She already drafted her letter back to him, saying that she was fine and that revenge wouldn't be necessary. He had also included the menu for her birthday ball to look over.

"I can't even pronounce most of these," Elphaba said, squinting in concentration at the paper. "What is this?" she asked, pointing at one of the names.

"There are three categories; meats, salads, and soups," Galinda observed. "I suppose we'll find out next week."

Spring break started in a few days, which meant that the gang would be parting ways before all rejoining in the Emerald City for Elphaba's birthday. The green girl would be spending the week at the palace, shadowing the Wizard and learning from him. She had suggested that arrangement, and he was more than happy to comply. He also asked her if he could announce that she would be spending her spring break in the palace shadowing him, and she thought long and hard about that before giving her consent.

She was more than prepared for the crowd of people waiting for her at the train station when she arrived in the city. This wasn't her first solo trip, but having all those people around her made her wish she brought a friend. She smiled politely and waved, giving them the princess-air they wanted. The Wizard had warned her not to answer any questions from the press yet, so she simply waved and got into the waiting carriage she was told would be waiting for her. Once she was settled, the carriage took off to the palace, leaving the reporters and photographers behind her.

When she got to the palace, her father's assistant, Viktor, immediately greeted her.

"Your Royal Highness," he bowed as soon as he saw her.

"Hello, Viktor," she smiled. "Is my father here?"

"His Ozness is currently working on paperwork. I'll let him know you've arrived."

"Okay. I'll settle in upstairs." The green girl walked up the grand staircase to the bedrooms and down the hall to her room. When she opened the door, two maids in emerald green dresses and aprons were unpacking her suitcases.

"Your Royal Highness," they immediately curtsied.

"Hello, Ashlyn. Hello, Jyvona," she smiled at her personal maids. She had met them after she officially accepted the position.

"We've almost finished unpacking," Jyvona said, putting a dress away.

"It's alright. I had a long ride and would like to rest before dinner." Elphaba said and the maids immediately stopped unpacking. "I can finish up myself. You're dismissed."

The maids exchanged a look, but curtsied and left. Elphaba sat down on her bed and looked up at the ceiling. This was it. After her twenty-first birthday on Friday, her life was going to change forever.

She was almost done unpacking when she heard a knock at the door. "Come in," she called, putting a book on her shelf.

The door opened and Oscar appeared, a wide smile on his face and his hands behind his back. "Hi."

Elphaba turned and smiled. "Hi."

"How was your journey?"

"Okay," She said, taking out a pair of boots and putting them in her closet. "The welcome committee at the train station was a nice touch."

Oscar smiled. "I'm just glad you arrived safely."

Elphaba knew what he was thinking and stopped to look at him. "I'm fine. I've dealt with worse. You don't have to overprotect me. What happened at the party… I'm fine."

"You're right. I've missed the chances I had to overprotect you," he said quietly. "You're an adult now."

Elphaba bit her lip, suddenly feeling bad, but not completely sure why.

"I have something for you. Consider it an early birthday gift." He approached her and held out a small box.

The green girl gently took the box and opened it. Gasping, she pulled out a golden locket shaped like a heart. "It's beautiful."

"Read the engraving."

It was very small, so she had to squint. "Oz's Favorite Team," she read, then slowly opened the locket. Inside on the left was a picture of a young man who looked like a younger version of the Wizard. On the right was a picture of her. It was one of the rare photographs of her giving the camera a genuine smile. It was one of the photos Galinda took when she tried out a new camera her "Popsicle" sent her for her birthday. "I love it! Thank you!" she grinned, wrapping her arms around him.

"You're welcome, Elphaba," Oscar said when they pulled away and he helped her put it on.

She opened it again and studied it. "You got my picture from Galinda, didn't you?"

"She sent me around twenty photos."

"I don't know how, since she only took seven."

Oscar chuckled. "I'm sure she found a way."

"Knowing Galinda, she definitely did. And is this you?"

"Yes. I was around your age, or maybe a bit older. I had just graduated college."

She couldn't tell much from this photo, but she immediately saw that she had inherited her raven hair from him. She looked back up at him, teary-eyed, and hugged him again. "Thank you… Dad."

The Wizard's eyes widened as he bit back tears and quickly returned the hug. "You're welcome, Elphaba."

* * *

"Do you always do this?" Elphaba asked, standing beside the emerald throne.

"I can't appear in my _human form_ all the time," Oscar said, poking his head out from behind the curtain. Not a lot of people saw him, but when they did, they assumed that he just liked walking around the palace in his human form.

Elphaba rolled her eyes. "I meant… this. The audiences with the people."

Oscar was silent for a moment. "The last Ozma was very distant from the people, which made her seem like a cold, heartless monarch. A ruler who is disconnected from their people can be easily overthrown if the people feel that they don't care about them."

Elphaba silently considered these words as the bells rang, signaling that it was time. The Wizard disappeared behind the curtain once more and the giant head appeared. Elphaba sat in the throne at the base of the steps leading to the Wizard's, though a bit off to the side. She was just watching, after all.

"We may begin!" Oscar boomed into the microphone, slightly startling the green girl. She would just have to get used to that.

The doors opened and, one by one, the people were led into the throne room. A guard stood in each corner of the room, and Elphaba didn't know if she felt safe with that or not. She focused most of her attention on watching the people and listening to her father, all while scribbling dutiful notes in her notebook. Seeing them so nervous reminded her of when she and Galinda first came to see the Wizard. It seemed like a lifetime ago, even though it had only been a few months.

She remained unnoticed by most of the people, since they were so focused on the giant, floating head and she did very little to make her presence known. A few times, when she had to sneeze or cough, was attention brought to her, to which she received a deep curtsy and a "Hello, Your Royal Highness."

Once the last person left, Oscar dismissed the guards. As soon as the doors closed, the head disappeared and he came out from behind the curtain. "What did you think?"

"How did you know what those people wanted before they came?" Elphaba asked, standing and stretching her legs.

"I'm the Wizard of Oz. I always know why people come to see me."

The green girl blinked at him. Chuckling, he pulled out index cards from his vest pocket and handed them to her. As she examined them, she saw that they were cards with the names, ages, homelands, and concerns of the people that just came.

"You learn a few tricks of the trade, so to speak," he smiled as he checked his watch. "I have some work to finish up. You are welcome to say, or you can rest before dinner."

"I'll go stretch my legs. I've been sitting for a while," she said, handing the cards back. "Thanks for letting me stay and watch."

"Of course. I'll see you at dinner."

Elphaba nodded and made her way out of the throne room, her father's words replaying in her mind.

 _A ruler who is disconnected from their people can be easily overthrown if the people feel that they don't care about them._

As she walked back to her room, she decided to take a little detour and walk around. She walked down the back hallway and found a door leading to an old staircase. Hearing voices approaching, she quickly slipped in and shut the door behind her. Now plunged into complete darkness, she muttered a spell under her breath and an orb of light appeared in her hand, giving her enough light to see around five feet in front of her. She looked down the stairs, pressing against the wall with her free hand. When she reached the bottom, there was another door, but when she tried to open it, she found it to be locked, but that was easily remedied with an unlocking spell.

The door loudly creaked as it slowly swung open, and Elphaba immediately slipped inside and looked around. She couldn't see much, but figured she was in some part of the basement in a storage room. Most things were covered in a dusty white sheet, hiding them from view. She peeked behind one of them and found a framed portrait of a young teenage girl with flowing, dark brown hair, soft blue eyes and even softer features, in a light pink gown.

 _Who could this be?_ she wondered.

Suddenly, she felt a magical tug coming from one of the covered up desks in the corner. Carefully placing the sheet back over the painting, she walked over to the desk and cautiously removed the covering before opening the glowing drawer. The light was so bright that she had to shut her eyes, but once it died down, she slowly opened them and pulled out a large book.

She blew off the dust, coughing in retaliation, and squinted at the cover. _'The Grimmerie'_ was written in blocked, golden letters. Curiously, she opened it and squinted at the words. _What funny writing_ , she thought, flipping through the pages. Even though she couldn't understand or pronounce most of the words, they seemed to have a meaning to her; a meaning she couldn't quite describe. Her gaze fell on a particular page with large cursive handwriting.

 _Read it!_

Elphaba's head snapped up and she looked around. "Hello? Who said that?"

Silence answered her.

"Is anyone there?" She made the light orb in her hand glow even brighter, but she still didn't see anyone. Frowning, she turned back to the book.

 _Read it!_

She looked up again, hoping to find the owner of the voice, but still found nothing. Was she hearing things? Was she going crazy? She looked down at the book and slowly began to whisper the words. "Ah te tum ah tea ohm ta maeto. Ah te tum ah tea ohm ta mae…"

The book began to glow and Elphaba immediately shut it. She didn't know what she had done, and it scared her. A strong wave of wooziness came over her and she felt her knees starting to buckle. Afraid, she shoved the book back into the drawer and covered it up.

She left the room exactly where she found it, closing and locking the door behind her.

* * *

The week passed too quickly for Elphaba, the hidden room and the weird book soon pushed to the back of her mind because of everything else going on. Thursday soon came, the day before her birthday and her birthday ball. When she opened her eyes, she was surprised to see Ashlyn and Jyvona's blurry figures standing by the window.

"Good morning, Your Royal Highness," they curtsied as Elphaba pushed herself up.

"Good morning," the green girl yawned, reaching over to her nightstand and grabbing her glasses, bring the maids into clear vision.

"Preparations for tomorrow night will begin after breakfast," Jyvona said as Elphaba slowly slid out of bed.

"What would you like to wear today?" Ashlyn asked, already moving to Elphaba's closet.

"Just something simple. Maybe a white blouse and my dark purple skirt," she answered, stretching and grabbing her underclothes and hurrying into her private bathroom. She quickly showered and came out clad in underwear, bra, and slip, and her hair wrapped in a towel. Once she was dressed, she sat down at her vanity and Ashlyn brushed her hair.

"Good morning, Elphaba," Oscar smiled when Elphaba came downstairs for breakfast.

"Good morning," the green girl smiled back as she sat down and began to eat.

"Once you're finished, there's something I want to show you."

Elphaba ate her last bit of fruit and looked up. "Yes?"

"Follow me."

The two walked back to the throne room, where decorations were beginning to go up for the following day. By his throne, sitting on an emerald cushion, was a tiara.

"It's beautiful," Elphaba smiled as she approached.

"It's yours."

"What?"

"It's yours. I'll officially present it to you tomorrow at the ball."

Elphaba took a small step closer to the tiara. There were small diamonds surrounding the slightly larger sapphire and ruby gems. The center gem was a large emerald gem shaped like a heart.

"It's remade from one of the old Ozma crowns," Oscar smiled. "The emerald is new."

The green girl couldn't take her eyes off it. "I love it. Thank you!"

"Tomorrow is all about you. I want everything to be perfect. And there won't just be celebrations here. All over Oz, there will be celebrations and festivations for you."

"A celebration throughout Oz that's all to do with me," Elphaba whispered.

"What?"

"Nothing. It's just… something Galinda said to me when I made the decision to become a princess. This isn't the life I had pictured for myself. I never could have imagined anything like that. She said that this was my chance to make a difference in Oz. I want to make good."

"I have every confidence that you will," Oscar smiled, gently taking her hand and giving it a squeeze. "I'm so proud of you, Elphaba." He gave her a light kiss on the cheek before turning to leave.

"Dad!" Elphaba called when he got to the doorway.

The Wizard froze for a moment before turning with a smile. "Yes?"

"Thank you," she smiled. "Not just for the tiara, but for everything." She fingered the locket, which only made the Wizard's smile grow.

"You're welcome, Elphaba."

That evening, Elphaba was looking through the large telescope in the observatory. She had always had an interest in astronomy, and was even taking a physics class about the stars. She had already done her assignment, which was to continue studying her assigned star and track its brightness progress. She was writing in her notebook when she heard footsteps, but didn't turn around, thinking it was her father.

"It's a bit cloudy tonight," she said. "The sky isn't as visible. I was hoping to use my star chart to study constellation movements."

"That doesn't matter, considering the brightest star is sitting right here."

Elphaba froze. That wasn't her father's voice. She slowly turned around and gasped, seeing who was really behind her. "Yero?"

"Hi, Fae," the Vinkun prince smiled, giving her a wave.

Elphaba grinned as she jumped up and wrapped her arms tightly around her boyfriend. "When did you get here?"

"Just now. Your maids told me you were up here and gave me directions. I wanted to surprise you."

"This is a very nice surprise. Are Galinda and Nessa here yet?"

"Not that I know of."

"I've missed you so much."

"I've missed you, too. How was your week?"

"Good. Tiring, but good. I learned a lot from Oscar. I have so many notes and so much information to learn."

Fiyero chuckled. "I know you'll be able to do it, Fae."

"Didn't you do something similar with your father?"

"I remember having to sit through council meetings with him, but I think I used it more as nap time."

Elphaba rolled her eyes, but rested her head against his chest as she wrapped her arms around him once more.

"Are you nervous for tomorrow?" he asked her, resting his chin on top of her head.

"A bit. Most people would probably rather prefer a pet rather than a country for their birthday, but I'll be fine. I know I made the right decision, and I'll stick by it."

"I'm proud of you."

"Thanks." The green girl smiled as she gently pulled away. She looked up at Fiyero for a clock-tick before slowly rose to her toes. Fiyero grinned and he gently pulled her close. Their lips were almost together when the door opened, and Elphaba promptly jumped back.

Ashlyn and Jyvona came in and curtsied. "Your Royal Highness, Miss Galinda Upland has arrived," Jyvona said.

"As did Miss Nessarose," Ashlyn added. "Shall we send them up here?"

"No," Elphaba shook her head. It would be too much trouble to have the servants try to bring Nessa's chair up all those stairs. "I'll go downstairs. Thank you." She smiled at the prince before taking his hand and leading him out, followed by the two maids.


	12. Out There

The next morning, Elphaba awoke to someone gently shaking her shoulder. Groaning, she groggily opened her eyes and blinked. "Glin?"

"Good morning, birthday princess," the blonde giggled, handing the green girl her glasses.

"What time is it?"

"Time to get ready for your big day."

"If it's before eight, I'm not going to be a happy birthday princess."

"It's eight-thirty."

Elphaba slipped her glasses onto her face and yawned. She slowly pushed herself up and stretched, looking at the clock. Her friend was right.

"How does it feel to be twenty-one?"

"The same as it felt being twenty. I don't feel any different."

"You will by tonight."

Despite herself, Elphaba smiled softly. "Yeah."

"Are you nervous? It's completely normal if you are."

"I'm fine," Elphaba said, getting out of bed, but the blonde wasn't completely convinced. "Come in!" she called when someone knocked at the door.

The two maids entered and were clearly surprised to see Elphaba already awake and up. "Good morning, Your Royal Highness. Happy birthday," they said in unison while curtsying.

"Thank you, Ashlyn, Jyvona," Elphaba smiled. "Is my sister up yet?"

"She's not. Would you like us to wake her?" Jyvona asked.

"What time will breakfast be ready?"

"Nine o'clock, Princess," Ashlyn said.

"Then yes. You can wake her. And help her get ready."

Jyvona blinked. "But what about –"

"I'll be fine. Galinda will stay."

The maids looked at each other before curtsying and hurrying out of the room. Before Elphaba could turn around, Galinda pushed her into the bathroom. "I'll pick out your clothes. Hurry!" she called through the closed door.

After washing, Elphaba came out and quickly slipped into a long-sleeved grey dress with a golden belt. As soon as she slipped her feet into a pair of flats, Galinda came back in, dressed in a white blouse with a matching blazer and skirt set, and pink heels.

The green girl pulled her damp hair into a simple braid and followed her best friend out of the room. When they got to the dining hall, Nessa and Fiyero were already there. The brunette, clad in a light blue fluffy robe, had her wet hair pulled back into a ponytail. She looked tired, but smiled brightly when she noticed her sister.

"Hi, Fabala. Happy birthday," she grinned.

"Thanks, Nessa," Elphaba smiled, hugging her sister, then turned to her boyfriend. "Morning."

"Good morning, birthday girl," Fiyero said with a grin and a kiss.

"Your Royal Highness," Viktor bowed as he came in. "His Ozness sends his birthday wishes and apologies, but he has much work to finish before this evening, so he will not be able to join you for breakfast."

"Oh," Elphaba said, and her friends detected a bit of disappointment in her voice. "Alright. Thank you, Viktor."

"Of course. Happy birthday, Princess." The assistant bowed and swiftly left, leaving the young adults alone.

The servers came in and laid out the plates of food. Elphaba pretty much watched everyone else eat while she picked at her eggs, spreading them around her plate.

"Did you sleep well last night?" Fiyero asked, sending Elphaba a worried glance.

"I did. I guess I'm just not very hungry."

"Are you upset about something?" the blonde questioned.

"No." She stood up from the table without finishing her food. "I'm going back up to my room. You three stay down here and finish eating."

The three friends watched her go. "Was that a royal command?" Galinda asked.

"I'd say it was more of a friendly suggestion," Fiyero said, eating the last of his oatmeal. He stood to leave, but Nessa gently grabbed his arm, stilling him.

"Maybe we should let her be for a while," she suggested.

Two pairs of eyes rested on her.

"She has a very long day and night ahead of her, and she probably just wants some time to herself to think and breathe. And she's still getting used to people fussing over her."

"You're right, Nessa," Galinda nodded. She didn't sound happy that it was suggested not to check up on her best friend, but Nessa knew her sister better than they did, so they trusted her instincts.

Fiyero slowly sat down. He didn't want to leave Elphaba alone when she was clearly upset about something, and he couldn't stop thinking about her as they made small talk about the ball that evening. They almost ran out of things to talk about until they moved into the parlor and the mail arrived.

"What's this?" Elphaba asked as she came in a few hours later. She looked a bit better, but something was clearly still on her mind.

"Newspapers from all over Oz, covering your story," Galinda said, looking up from an article.

"My story?"

Nessa handed her sister one of the papers as she sat down. "Don't worry, Fabala. They're all nice."

"From the _Emerald Editor_. Elphaba Diggs, formally Thropp, was born and raised in Munchkinland. Her mother, the late Melena Skarr, was married to His Ozness before quietly divorcing after becoming pregnant with the princess, though it was unknown to His Ozness. She later married the Governor of Munchkinland, Frexspar Thropp, where she gave birth. The princess was born with a rare green skin pigmentation, which is believed to be the result of a medicine Mrs. Thropp was taking during her pregnancy. She died giving birth to her second daughter, fathered by the Governor, Nessarose Thropp," Elphaba read before looking up. " _That's_ what he decided to say? That he was married to my mother, then they divorced?" Her history hadn't really been questioned before, but the press was getting impatient for details, and the Wizard had to oblige them somehow.

"It's better than saying that you're illegitimate," Fiyero offered, then grunted as he received a hard jab in the ribs from Nessa.

"Much better," Galinda agreed.

Elphaba kept going. "The reasons for the late Mrs. Thropp to have kept the princess a secret will never be known. But His Ozness is overjoyed to finally be reconnected with his only child and heir. She will celebrate her twenty-first birthday by being officially crowned as Princess of Oz at a special ball at the Emerald City palace."

"What do you think?" Fiyero inquired, reading over her shoulder.

"The papers seem satisfied with it."

"Are you?"

"It's better than the full truth."

"Are you feeling better, Fabala?" Nessa questioned.

"I am," Elphaba said with a short nod. "I just needed some time to clear my head. And I decided what I want to do today before the ball."

"What's that?"

"I want to go out."

"Out?" Galinda blinked.

"Out… like… side? You wanna go outside?" Fiyero asked. "I don't see what's stopping us from going out to the gardens."

"I want to walk through the city… and not have anyone know who I am."

" _Now_ I see what's stopping us." Fiyero gave his girlfriend a look. "You won't make it past the gates without someone spotting you, especially today of all days."

"It's sunny, so everyone will be wearing their glasses. My skin won't stand out. I haven't been on a simple stroll through the city since before the news broke."

"You think people won't recognize your face?"

"Not if I wear a large enough hat… and maybe a veil."

"And the Wizard?" Nessa asked.

"He's finishing up paperwork. He won't know."

"I've never seen a rebellious Elphaba before," the prince blinked, then grinned. "I like it."

"How are we gonna get past the guards? The Wizard increased security everywhere around the grounds of the palace," Galinda pointed out.

"Leave it to me. Ditching security detail is what I do best."

The three girls stared at the crown prince, to which he only shrugged nonchalantly. After a few more arguments, Fiyero quickly assessed the guard situation and led them through the gardens and out the back gate.

"Do I _want_ to know how you got so good at this?" Nessa asked once they were off the palace property.

"I don't know… do you?" Fiyero smirked.

"Not really."

"Good answer," Elphaba chuckled. She tugged at the black veil connected to her black sunhat and fiddled with her elbow-length black gloves. This was the best disguise they could come up with on such short notice.

"You look like you're either going to or leaving a funeral," the blonde had pointed out, but Elphaba was really antsy to go, so they didn't have time for a change.

"Where do you want to go, Fabala?" Nessa asked, looking up at her sister.

"I think the statue garden should be open again," she said, leading the way.

After walking through the statue garden, the group continued to walk around, admiring the decorations. They headed towards the square, where the Emerald Fountain was. Ozian national flags, as well as a few Munchkinland flags, surrounded the entire area.

"Actually, if you wanna get technical, Mama was from the Gillikin," Elphaba commented softly as they walked around. "So I have no biological ties to Munchkinland."

"No one wants to get technical right now," Fiyero said, buying a mini-flag from a young boy.

"Fresh pie! Come get your Princess Elphaba key lime pie! Fresh out the oven!" a vendor shouted over the bustling crowds.

"He's _joking_ , right?" Elphaba hissed as she turned. "Key lime pie? I don't even like key lime pie."

"But I do," the blonde said as she hurriedly bought a slice.

"Then I'll inform him that he should rename it to the 'Galinda key lime pie'."

They spent a few more minutes walking around before heading back to the palace. When they got back, the Wizard was waiting for them in the foyer, looking less than happy.

"Uh oh," Galinda muttered.

"Where were you?" Oscar asked, impatiently tapping his foot.

"We… um… we… we were just…" the prince gulped.

"We went out to the town," Nessa said, not quite meeting the Wizard's gaze. She was horrible at lying, and even worse at withholding the truth.

"I didn't want to stay cooped up in the palace all day," Elphaba quipped.

The Wizard glanced at her. "In disguise, I see."

She pulled off her hat, veil, and gloves. "It worked. No one recognized me."

"You three may go," Oscar said, after a pause, to Fiyero, Nessa, and Galinda.

They all looked at the green girl once more before Fiyero stepped behind Nessa's chair and pushed her away, with Galinda close behind them.

"You're mad at me," Elphaba said once they were alone.

"No, I'm not mad," Oscar sighed. "I was just worried. I'm relieved that you're alright, but that doesn't change the fact that I was nervous for you."

"I'm fine."

"I know. And I know you're not a child. I just want to keep you safe, especially now. I don't want you to feel like you're a prisoner here, but the next time you want to go out, at least tell someone."

Elphaba was silent for a moment. "When I was younger, I used to sneak out to the nearby village. I would sit in the park and watch the other children play together. I never played with them, and I always brought a book with me. The Governor never realized I was gone. As long as Nessa was okay, he didn't care what I did or where I went, as long as I didn't cause any trouble."

It was Oscar's turn to be silent. "I'm sorry. I understand this is new to you. It's new to me, too."

"I… I'm sorry I worried you."

"It's alright. Are you hungry?"

"Not really."

"Why don't you get some rest before tonight? I'll send Jyvona and Ashlyn up when it's time to get ready."

The green girl nodded and made her way up the stairs.

"Elphaba!"

She turned. "Yes?"

"Happy birthday."

Her lips twitched. "Thank you."

* * *

A few hours later, Elphaba slowly opened her eyes from her nap. She slipped on her glasses and looked at the clock. Her maids would be coming in any minute to help her get ready. She got up and walked over to her window seat. The gardens were decorated in flags, tables and chairs, and green paper lanterns for that evening. This was it. It was her big night and she was going to celebrate it with the most honored (and rich) people of Oz, as well as her closest friends.

She looked at her dress, which was hanging on the back of her door. It was an off-the-shoulder royal purple gown with a thin layer of tulle covered by a large, flaring, floor-length skirt. She walked over and lightly ran her fingers over the soft, satin material. It was a very beautiful dress. She just hoped she could do it justice.

Just as she suspected, Ashlyn and Jyvona soon arrived to help her get ready. She had enough time to soak in a soothing bath with lavender bath salts instead of having to take a rushed shower. She came out feeling more relaxed than she ever had in her entire life, and smelling of lavender. She slipped into her underclothes before putting on her robe and coming out. She sat at her vanity as Ashlyn did her hair and Jyvona did her makeup. While her hair was braided into an elegant crown braid, with half of her hair flowing down her back, the maid gently applied a bit of blush and lip gloss, and, since she was wearing her contacts, mascara and dark purple eye shadow. Once her hair and makeup were finished, she put on the dress.

"You look beautiful, Your Royal Highness," Jyvona said as she straightened the skirt.

"Simply stunning," Ashlyn added with a smile, helping Elphaba with her locket.

She looked at her reflection in the mirror. The combination of her hair, makeup, and the gown did make her feel beautiful. "Thank you," she nodded.

"Your Royal Highness, the guests are beginning to arrive," a servant called through the closed door.

"Thank you," she called back. Her father told her that he didn't want her there when the guests were arriving so she could make her big, grand entrance. "Could I have a moment alone, please?" she asked, looking at the maids through the mirror.

"Of course, Princess," they curtsied and hurried out.

Elphaba went to sit on her bed and sighed. This was it. She was going to become the official heir and princess of Oz. And she wasn't even finished with her education yet! It was still only her first year, and she couldn't believe how much had happened these past four months.

She could hear thunderous applause coming from the ballroom, probably due to her father arriving. Her friends and sister were also down there, waiting to see her. They hadn't seen each other since parting ways after coming back to the palace. She looked down at the locket, fingering with it before finally opening it and looking down at the two photos.

"Princess, they're ready for you in the ballroom," the same servant called through the door.

The green girl put on her white elbow-length gloves before slipping her feet into a pair of half-inch black heels and tightened the buckle. The added height helped her with the long dress, but she still had to hold it up a bit when walking to avoid tripping over it. She opened the door and the servant bowed deeply. She nodded and made her way out the room and slowly down the grand staircase. The guards at the double door bowed to her and placed their hands on the doorknobs, waiting to open the door.

"And now, it is with great pleasure that I present to you all my daughter, Her Royal Highness, Princess Elphaba," she heard her father say, and the doors opened.

* * *

 **Yes, we have the special birthday ball coming up next! Let's hope there won't be any unwanted surprises or uninvited guests! MWAHAHA!**

 **Don't forget to review!**


	13. A Star Is Born

**KatriaFaeyero: Thank you so much for your reviews! Morrible will be the LEAST of your worries in this! But the Grimmerie… is a different story. MWAHAHAHA!**

* * *

She walked in to slow, classical music from the orchestra, as well as camera flashes. She received deep bows or curtsies from everyone as she passed them. She smiled and nodded politely, though her main focus was her father.

"Elphaba," Oscar smiled when she reached him.

She curtsied deeply. "Your Ozness."

She rose with a big smile, which the Wizard quickly returned. He offered her his hand, which she took, and helped her up the stairs leading to two emerald thrones. She assumed hers was the slightly smaller one, and she gracefully sat down, making sure to apply everything Madame Jabal had taught her.

As she looked out into the crowd, her gaze rested on her friends. Galinda, who looked very pretty in her hot pink silk gown with a large bow in the back and her hair in soft curls, gave her a thumbs up. Nessa, dressed in a baby blue gown and her hair in a waterfall braid, gave her sister a tiny wave. Fiyero, wearing his official crown prince of the Vinkus suit, gave the princess an encouraging nod and subtle wink.

"Elphaba," the Wizard began as he gently took the tiara from the pillow and held it up. "Do you accept the official title of Princess of Oz and the responsibilities entailed thereof?"

"I do so accept," she answered, trying to keep the nervousness out of her voice.

"And do you so promise to learn to lead and govern the people of Oz with a fair and just hand, according to their countries' customs, and will one day inherit and accept the office and title of Sovereign Queen of Oz?"

"I do so promise."

"Then by the power vested in me, I hereby officially crown you Her Royal Highness, Elphaba Diggs, Crown Princess Of Oz."

He placed the tiara on her head to a thunderous applause. "Congratulations, Elphaba," he whispered, kissing her cheek.

"Thanks, Dad," she whispered back and stood.

The Wizard grabbed a wine glass from a close servant and held it up. "A toast! To Princess Elphaba."

"To Princess Elphaba!" everyone chorused, raising their glasses and taking a sip.

Oscar nodded to the orchestra and they played another selection. Elphaba moved towards her friends, but before she could go anywhere, Oscar led her to be formally introduced to the politicians and dignitaries of Oz. She knew about most of them, since Galinda and Nessa had quizzed her multiple times.

"Governor Thropp," she nodded respectfully when it was his turn.

"Your Royal Highness," the governor bowed. "Congratulations and happy birthday."

"Thank you." She tried not to dwell on the fact that this was the first time he was acknowledging her birthday.

"King Raal and Queen Amalie Tigulaar of the Vinkus, Your Royal Highness," Viktor announced to the princess.

The monarchs came forward. "Your Royal Highness," they genuflected.

"Your Majesties," Elphaba curtsied.

"We don't want to take up too much of your time, but we wanted to say how honored we are to finally meet you," Raal smiled.

"We've heard so much about you from Fiyero," Amalie said. "All good things, of course."

It took Elphaba a moment to realize that Fiyero must have written to his parents about her, pre-and-post finding out she was the princess. "I hope we will have more time to talk tonight," she said sincerely, then noticed the two teenagers behind the king and queen.

"Allow us to introduce our two younger children, Prince Azar and Princess Timunah," the king said, ushering them forward.

Elphaba remembered Fiyero mentioning that he had twin sixteen-year-old siblings. The younger prince looked like a younger carbon copy of his older brother, while the princess looked identical to her twin brother, but with longer hair and freckles.

"Hello, Your Royal Highness," the prince bowed, and his sister curtsied. "Happy birthday."

"Thank you, Prince Azar, Princess Timunah," Elphaba nodded.

"Has Fiyero mentioned us to you?" Timunah asked with a wide grin.

She smirked. "I believe he mentioned something about his twin siblings who love to play pranks on people and then blame him."

The twins chuckled sheepishly. "We promise to be on our best behavior tonight," Azar smiled as if it were a big accomplishment.

Elphaba chuckled. "I thank you for that."

The royals nodded and went to enjoy the party. After a few more dignitaries, Elphaba was finally done and was finally allowed to enjoy her own party.

"Whoa," she whispered when she saw the large mountain of presents.

"Those are all for you," Galinda said, sneaking up behind her friend and taking her hand.

"This reminds me of your luggage mountain on the move-in day."

"Yes. This is _almost_ as big."

The two girls shared a laugh and walked around the ballroom. Everyone was eating, talking, and laughing, seemingly having a good time. A few couples were on the dance floor, while others were drinking wine off to the side.

"You look beautiful, Elphie," the blonde whispered to her friend, grabbing a glass of punch.

"Thank you, Glin. You do, too."

"Are you having fun?"

"I can now that meeting the dignitaries is over. But I still have to be careful since a few newspapers are here."

The girls snacked on the finger-foods they had out, opting out of the large dinner. Elphaba knew she wouldn't have any time to sit down, but she hadn't had a sit-down meal since breakfast. She wasn't very hungry, though. Her adrenaline would probably keep her going.

"How are you feeling?" the blonde asked.

"I turned twenty-one, and I was just crowned princess of an entire country, and I'm not covered in mud. Overall, it's been a pretty good day."

"I'm glad. You deserve this, Elphie."

"I finally got my celebration throughout Oz that's all to do with me."

Galinda smiled as she hugged her friend. A few young men approached Elphaba, wanting to dance with her. The princess, with some encouragement from her best friend, went to go dance.

"I don't know why I had to take dance lessons when it's clear those boys didn't," Elphaba grumbled as she went to sit next to her sister. "My feet are killing me and I can barely feel my toes."

"Was it really that bad?" Nessa asked, trying and failing to hide her giggles.

"I suppose it could have been worse. They could have tripped and fallen on top of me, or me on them. That would have given the press a very interesting cover story."

"And it would have given Fiyero a heart attack. Did you dance with him yet?"

"No. He's been catching up with his family. And I've been… engaged."

"Well, it looks like he wants that dance now."

The green girl looked up to see the crown prince of the Vinkus approaching her. "Your Royal Highness," he bowed.

"Prince Fiyero," she nodded with a smile.

"May I have the honor of dancing with you?"

Elphaba looked at her sister before slowly rising to her feet. "Only if you promise not to step on my royal toes."

Nessa had to cover her mouth to stop her laughter from filling the entire ballroom.

"On pain of execution?" Fiyero said, fighting to keep his face straight.

"Yes."

"That's a risk I'm willing to take." He bowed and offered his arm, which she took and allowed him to lead her to the dance floor as a new song started up.

"Are you having a nice birthday, Fae?" he whispered as he gently placed his hand on her hip.

"I am. I didn't think I would have fun at a big party, but I am. But keep in mind that I don't want to be dragged to every single party at the Ozdust."

"I'm not the one you should be telling that to," the prince chuckled, nodding in Galinda's direction, who was dancing with the younger Vinkun prince.

"It wouldn't be _all_ her."

"Yeah. You're right."

"I know."

The prince chuckled and lightly kissed her forehead. It was quick and chaste, but that didn't stop Elphaba from blushing. The dance ended and the couple quickly made their way to the dessert table. The prince shoved a small cupcake into his mouth, while Elphaba delicately bit hers.

"Another dance?" Elphaba asked.

"I think someone else wants to dance with you," Fiyero smiled.

Elphaba turned and saw everyone clear the dance floor as her father stepped down. Smiling, she made her way over to him and gently took the hand he offered.

"The father-daughter dance between His Ozness and Princess Elphaba," Viktor announced.

"Elphaba," he smiled.

"Dad," she smiled back.

Oscar did his best not to cry as the music started up and he danced with his daughter.

"You look beautiful, Elphaba," he whispered as they spun across the floor.

"Thank you," the green girl whispered back. "I'm… having a nice time."

"I'm glad."

They danced in silence for a moment, everyone else's presence slowly fading into the background.

"Dad?" Elphaba whispered after a moment.

"Yes?"

She gently rested her head against his chest. "I… I love you."

All Oscar's efforts not to cry were lost as his eyes filled with tears and slowly slid down his cheek. The cameras were quick to capture this moment, but neither of them paid attention to the numerous flashes around them.

"What do you think she said?" Nessa asked, wheeling over to her friends.

"I don't know, but now everyone's crying," the blonde said, wiping tears from her eyes. "She's just… so beautiful."

"Yes. Yes, she is," Fiyero smiled.

Their dance soon ended and everyone applauded. They both had big smiles on their faces as they looked out at the crowd. After more mingling, dancing, and eating, the night drew to a close and everyone began to leave. Elphaba spent the last parts of the night with her best friend, boyfriend, and sister, since they would be returning to Shiz the following morning. She went to bed exhausted, but still full of adrenaline. This had been the best birthday of her life. Granted, it was the first one she actually celebrated, but it still was the icing on the cake.

* * *

The next morning, after saying goodbye to her friends and sister, Elphaba retreated to the library. She didn't know how long she was there until Ashlyn found her and announced lunch.

She ate and talked with her father before going back to her room to pack. She knew her maids could have done that for her, but she still wanted to do things herself.

Saturday evening, the day before she was to return to Shiz, Oscar went looking for her. He checked her room, the library, and the gardens, but still couldn't find her. He ran into Jyvona, who told him that she was up in the observatory. He walked up the stairs, slightly winded as he reached the top.

He opened the door and smiled at the sight of his daughter looking through the large telescope before jotting notes down in her book. She looked up at the sound of his footsteps and smiled softly.

"Is it true you really brought the telescope from your world?" she asked as he pulled up a chair next to her and sat down.

"I suppose it is, since no one knew what it was before I arrived," Oscar chuckled, looking up at the sky. "I realized something."

"What's that?"

"Well… your boyfriend has a special nickname for you, as do your best friend and sister, but I don't."

Elphaba looked at him. "You want to give me a nickname?"

"It would make me feel more fatherly. Plus, I don't want to take one of your friends' copyrighted names."

She looked at him curiously. "What was your nickname?"

"I was very good at math, so my friends called me 'The Wiz'."

"How fitting."

"I thought so." He paused for a moment. "Ellie?"

"No," Elphaba said immediately, shaking her head.

"Emerald?"

"Try again."

"El?"

She considered it. "Maybe."

"But that's not personal enough. How did you get your multiple nicknames?"

Elphaba chuckled. "My mother used to call me 'Fabala', and Nessa quickly adopted it when she was learning to speak. She never knew that Mama called me that; it's just the way it came out. Galinda just bestowed 'Elphie' upon me when we became friends, despite my objections on the grounds that it was too perky. And Fiyero… I honestly have no idea where he got 'Fae' from, but he's stuck with it and there's not much I can do about it at this point."

Oscar nodded and the two fell into a comfortable silence. Elphaba looked back into her telescope and frowned before looking at her star chart and back into her telescope again.

"What is it?" Oscar questioned.

"The last time I was up here, it was cloudy and I couldn't see the sky as well. It's much better now and I was finally able to track my star and…"

"And what?"

"It's so much brighter than before. Then I looked it up and it most likely means that it's turned into a supernova."

Oscar never studied the stars, so he didn't quite understand what that meant.

"It's when a star ejects most of its mass and explodes. It's actually a very beautiful sight. The star will turn into a black dwarf, but a new star could be born from its dust if it collects together and compresses," she said upon seeing his confused face, getting up and stepping aside, allowing for him to see.

Sure enough, he immediately saw the brightest star of the bunch. "I like it."

"Like what?"

"Supernova. That's going to be my special nickname for you."

Elphaba quirked an eyebrow. "You _do_ know that a supernova is a _dying star_ , right?"

"Yes, but it also means that a new star will soon be born from its dust."

"'Soon' meaning in a few million years."

"I'm still sticking with it. It fits you."

"You think I'm a dying star?"

"I think you're a _new_ star. A bright new hope for the future of Oz."

A smile slowly crept its way onto her lips. "Really?"

"Really." He softly kissed her forehead. "I'm going to bed. And you should, too. You return to Shiz tomorrow."

"I'd like to stay up here for a little bit longer. The Shiz Observatory Telescope isn't as good as this one."

Oscar nodded and bid her a good night before leaving. Elphaba looked back in the telescope and noticed a streak of light seemingly falling. She looked it up in her chart.

"Sometimes, bits of dust and rock called meteoroids fall into the atmosphere and as they do, a tail of fire appears behind them," she read out loud to herself. "This phenomenon is most commonly known as a 'shooting star'."

* * *

 **Writing this chapter made me realize that my mom has a special nickname for me… but my dad doesn't. How intriguing.**

 **And yay! Everyone is so happy and loving and together! Let's mix it up a little, shall we? *Cackle***


	14. Sleeping Star

**Happy Valentine's Day, everyone!**

* * *

"You have everything?" Oscar asked for the tenth time as he and Elphaba stood in the foyer.

"Yes. I have everything," Elphaba said with a soft smile.

"Okay," he nodded, wringing his hands.

The green girl closed the small gap between them and hugged him tightly, which Oscar quickly returned.

"Thank you for this week," Elphaba said, leaning against his shoulder. "From letting me shadow you to the tiara and the party."

"Of course, nova."

Elphaba resisted the urge to roll her eyes. She knew she was never going to shake the star-inspired nickname, but honestly, she didn't really want to.

"I love you," she said, giving him one final squeeze and pulling away.

"I love you, too," the Wizard smiled as he watched her leave.

One of the guards helped her into the carriage and closed the door behind her. The Wizard stood by the large window and waved until the carriage was out of sight. Even after she was gone, it took him a while to tear himself away from the window and go back to his office.

When she arrived back on campus, the driver offered to carry her suitcase back to her room for her. She thanked him, but refused. She was perfectly capable of going back by herself. Most of the students were also arriving back, crowding the campus. Elphaba quickly made her way back to Crage Hall, but before she could fish out her room key, the door opened.

"Elphie!" the blonde smiled, wrapping her arms around her friend as she stepped into the room.

"Hi, Glin," she smiled, wrapping one arm around her roommate, since the other was occupied holding her suitcase.

"I've missed you so much!"

"I saw you yesterday."

"Shut up and return the sentiment, Elphaba!"

"I missed you too, Glin," she said obediently.

"How was your final night in the palace?"

Elphaba moved to her bed and began unpacking her suitcase. "It was okay. I spent most of it in the library and in the observatory."

"You were doing homework the day after you became the official princess? You know, you have the power to outlaw homework, which I highly recommend, by the way."

"I wasn't doing homework," Elphaba chuckled. "I was just studying the stars. It's very relaxing."

"Only you would _study_ to relax."

Elphaba simply smirked as she finished putting her clothes away and collapsed on her bed with a book. She planned on reading for a few, then going to get some food, but what ended up happening was that she fell asleep and woke up to Galinda shaking her awake, saying that she shouldn't sleep in her contacts.

* * *

As the rest of the two months of the semester dragged on, the green girl's friends noticed how much she was changing. She withdrew into herself, and when she wasn't in class, she was either working in the library or in her room. She rarely sought out other's company, but didn't go out of her way to hide from them.

"The last time I saw her this distant and moodified was after we came back from the city the very first time and she refused to tell me what happened," the blonde confessed to the brunette and prince as they ate. Elphaba had refused to come with them, complaining of a headache.

"You don't think someone else is bullying her about her new status, do you?" Nessa asked, sipping her lemonade.

"I don't think anyone would want to risk being thrown in the Southstairs," Fiyero said.

"Fiyero, this is serious. Something is really bothering Elphie and we need to find out what it is so we can be good friends and help fix it," Galinda frowned.

"Glin, she probably just needs her space. You know how she is."

"Yes, but –"

"I think Fiyero's right, Glin," Nessa said. "When Fabala's ready to tell us what's wrong, she will."

Galinda bit her lip, knowing her friends were right. She bid them goodbye before going back to her room.

"Glin, please don't slam the door," Elphaba moaned from her bed.

She hadn't slammed the door, but didn't close it quietly, either. "You still have that headache?"

Elphaba moaned again. The room was completely dark, and Galinda didn't want to turn on the lights, knowing it would only hurt her more.

"Can I get you anything?" she asked softly.

"No."

"Alright." She slowly walked over to her bed, almost tripping over a pair of her shoes, and set her bag down. She made sure to be very quiet so she wouldn't disturb her friend. She ended up lying on her bed, staring at the ceiling. She occasionally glanced at her roommate, who never moved from her curled position on the bed. "Have you eaten?"

Elphaba coughed. "No, and I'm not hungry."

"You probably have that headache _because_ you're hungry." The blonde got up and slipped on her shoes. "I'm bringing some food back for you."

Before Elphaba had the chance to protest, her roommate grabbed her bag and hurried out the room, but made sure to close the door quietly behind her.

When she returned with a canteen of soup and an apple, Elphaba hadn't even moved. She managed to get her friend to drink and actually finish the apple before going back to sleep.

When Elphaba woke up again, she felt a bit better. She still had a bit of a headache, but it wasn't throbbing like before. She grabbed her glasses from her nightstand, slid them onto her face and pushed herself into a sitting position. The room was empty, and she figured her roommate was in class. She looked at the time and with a gasp, realized she had missed her Astronomy class. Groaning, she flopped back onto the pillows.

The blonde soon returned, and smiled to see her roommate awake. "How are you feeling?" she asked, taking her books out of her bag and placing them neatly on her desk.

"Much better," Elphaba confessed. "I missed my astronomy class, though."

"If you explain to the professor that your brain was trying to pound its way out of your head, I'm sure she'll understand."

Elphaba couldn't help but chuckle, then sobered. "But…"

"But?"

"I had a very… strange dream."

The blonde glanced at her roommate and hurried over to her, bouncing up onto her bed. "What about?"

"I don't really know. It was some sort of battle scene. Everyone was fighting and there was magic being thrown around. Everyone's faces were blurred, but there was one person… a man... I felt like I knew him. I don't know who he was, though."

"I'm not a dream interpreter, but I think you were dreaming about a war."

"Why would I dream about a war?"

"Maybe it's a war that will happen in the future?"

"I hope to Oz not."

"Well… try not to think about it too much, Elphie. It was just a dream."

"Yeah, you're right."

The blonde patted her friend's leg before bouncing off to her own bed, pulling out a magazine and burying her nose in it. Elphaba thought for a moment before doing the same with her astronomy book.

* * *

As finals approached, Elphaba's headaches returned, and her dreams turned into graphic nightmares. She found herself constantly waking up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat and labored breathing. Multiple times, she dreamt of the young girl from the portrait trying to strangle her. Other times she dreamt of the same girl killing her father, friends, and sister, then trying to kill her.

Eventually, after waking the blonde on numerous occasions, she had to confess what was going on.

"It's the same girl," she said as Galinda rebraided her hair in the middle of the night.

"Have you met this girl before?"

"I haven't. But I've… seen her before."

"You have?"

"Yes. There's a portrait of her hidden in a secret room in the palace. I found it when I was exploring."

"What did she look like?"

"She was a young teenager, maybe around thirteen or fourteen years old, with brown hair and blue eyes. And I also found a very strange book."

"About what?"

"Nothing. It looked like a spell book, but it was written in some weird language. And the funny thing is… I could read it. I couldn't understand most of it, but I knew how to pronounce the words. It was called 'The Grimmerie'."

"Maybe you could ask Morrible about it."

"The book felt powerful, coursing with magic. In the wrong hands, it could be very detrimental to society. I think we should just keep it between the two of us for now."

"Okay, Elphie. Try to go back to sleep. Tomorrow's the final day of classes before exams."

The green girl watched as her friend returned to her own bed and climbed under the covers. It took her a while to fall asleep again, for fear of another nightmare, but she eventually did, but not without her thoughts drifting back to the girl.

Finals week came and went. Elphaba thought she did well, but not as well as she could have due to her added distractions. She had confided in her boyfriend, who couldn't do much except offer her a shoulder to lean on and an ear to listen to her. She was very grateful for that and made sure he knew it.

"So, what's your schedule of visitors?" the blonde asked as she and her roommate packed the last of their belongings.

"You, Nessa, and Fiyero are all coming the week of my father's anniversary. August fifth is on a Saturday, and Nessa and Fiyero will leave the Sunday afternoon. You're the only one staying an extra week."

"Lucky me," she smirked.

"Fiyero has to return to the Vinkus for his crown prince duties and Nessa could only request one week off from her new summer job."

"Where is she working?"

"She's a teacher's aid at the village pre-school summer program. She's very good with children."

"You are, too," Galinda said, remembering when they went to the shelter.

"Once they stop asking questions about my skin, some of them are actually very endearing," Elphaba said, closing her suitcase.

"Elphie?"

"Hmm?"

"You'll be alright, won't you?"

The green girl glanced at her friend. "Of course. Why wouldn't I be?"

"I mean… with the headaches and the nightmares and…"

She softened. "I'll be fine. It was probably because I was so stressed about finals."

Galinda didn't look convinced, but they both had to leave for their respective homes, so she simply grabbed her bags and walked out the door with her friend, watching as she locked it behind her.

"I'll see you in August, Elphie," the blonde said, giving her best friend a hug before hurrying to her waiting carriage.

"Bye, Glin," Elphaba said, half-distracted as she watched her sister's carriage carrying her and Boq disappeared from her view. She caught herself just in time to wave to the blonde as her carriage also left.

As she grabbed her suitcase, she felt someone's arms wrap around her from behind and turned her head to see her boyfriend. "Hi," he smiled.

"Hi," she smiled back, letting go of the handle and fully turning around. "Aren't you leaving soon?"

"I hope so. The longer I stay here, the more I think that my parents are purposefully delaying my return home in the hope that I will enroll in summer courses."

Elphaba laughed. "And that would be _horrendible_."

"Simply awful!" he agreed, trying not to smile, but ended up grinning. "I'll miss you."

"I'll miss you, too, but I'll see you again in three months."

"But that's three months away! I don't know how I'll make it."

The green girl wrapped her arms around her boyfriend, rising to her toes to kiss him softly. "I have every confidence that you will."

"And we'll write."

"I'll have my secretary write to your secretary."

Fiyero opened his mouth, but his response died in his throat as he looked at his girlfriend and chuckled. "Whatever saves time."

"Your Royal Highness."

Elphaba turned and saw her driver. She nodded to him and he bowed before taking her bags into the "I guess this is so long," she said, looking up at the prince.

"Until August."

"Until August." Giving him one final kiss, she grabbed her final suitcase that the driver didn't get and got into the carriage.

Fiyero waved until she was out of sight. Sighing, he sat on the bench and waited for his own ride home, still hoping he wouldn't have to stay the summer.

* * *

 **I've been very nice so far, haven't I? Lots of Fiyeraba and fun and princesses and pink! I hope y'all enjoyed it while you had the chance. *Cackle and lightning***


	15. Worst Nightmare

This time, when Elphaba returned to the palace, Oscar was waiting for her in the foyer. She was surprised to see him out, thinking he would be in a meeting or doing paperwork, but she was happy to see him nonetheless.

"Hi, Dad," she smiled, wrapping her arms around him.

"Hi, nova," he smiled, returning the hug and kissing her forehead. "How was the ride here?"

"Okay. The south Yellow Brick Road could use a bit of repair, though. It was very bumpy."

Oscar nodded. "I'll make a note of that. Are you hungry?"

"A bit."

"There are small sandwiches and apple cider in the parlor."

The two went into the parlor and Elphaba immediately put three ham sandwiches on her plate.

"How did your finals go?"

"Well, I think. Though, I don't think I did as well as I could have."

"Why not?"

"I've been having headaches and… nightmares recently."

Oscar's face showed only concern. "Nightmares about what?"

"I don't know really. I mostly see this young girl and she… she kills everyone I love before trying to kill me."

"Young girl?"

"I know. It sounds silly."

Oscar was silent for a moment. He didn't know what to tell her, or how to comfort her, or if she even _needed_ to be comforted.

"I'll be fine," the green girl said before he could say anything. "It was just a dream. It doesn't mean anything. I'd rather just forget about it."

"If you're sure you're fine."

"I'm sure."

Oscar nodded. "Well, I was thinking that while you're back, you might want to start your new official duties."

"My official duties?"

"Yes. It would mostly include traveling and charity work. Of course, you don't have to start right away, or even this summer. You deserve to relax after completing your first year of college, along with everything else that was thrown at you this year."

 _"You could help them. You could help them and lots of other people like them in Oz."_ she recalled Galinda saying after they went to the shelter. "I'd like to start."

"Wonderful. I'll have Viktor help you set up a schedule."

Elphaba nodded as she stood. "Okay. But right now, I think I'll go upstairs and nap."

Oscar watched as his daughter left and hurried up the stairs. Elphaba fully expected to see Jyvona and Ashlyn unpacking her suitcases, or for them to be almost finished, but when she got to her room, she saw everything in complete disarray. Her suitcases were open and carelessly laying across the room. Her clothes were thrown all over the room, most of them ripped. Amongst her clothes, her books were also thrown everywhere. Pages were torn from the bindings and crumbled up before being tossed everywhere. She tenderly picked up her ruined belongings, wondering what could have happened. "Jyvona! Ashlyn!" she shouted.

The window flew open, blowing the loose pages around the room. The green girl hurried to the window to stop anything from flying out. Once she closed it, she turned to call the maids again, but what greeted her made her voice die in her throat.

It was _her_ ; the girl from her dreams. She stood in front of her, almost as tall as her chest, glaring at her with murderous eyes. She looked real, but not quite fully corporeal. She wondered if she was hallucinating.

"Who are you?" Elphaba asked once she found her voice.

"Your worst nightmare," the young girl said, though her voice was too child-like to give off the fear she probably intended.

Elphaba was about to comment on this until the apparition lunged at her and closed her hands around her throat, pushing her against the wall and making her slide down. Her eyes widened as she struggled to breathe. "Help!" she managed to choke out with enough volume for _someone_ to hear.

Sure enough, hurried footsteps reached her ears as she continued to struggle against this younger girl with an iron grip. As they grew closer, the girl disappeared, leaving Elphaba slumped against the wall, gasping for air as she rubbed her throat.

"Your Royal Highness!" the two maids exclaimed as they hurried in and knelt in front of the green girl. "Are you alright? What happened?"

Elphaba shook her head, tears spilling from her eyes.

"Go call the guards!" Ashlyn told Jyvona. The other maid nodded and hurried out. "You look like you've seen a ghost," she said gently.

Elphaba said nothing as she pushed herself to her feet, aided by Ashlyn. "What happened in here?"

"I don't know, ma'am. Jyvona and I put away all your belongings before leaving. No one else was in here. I don't know how this could have happened. We'll have this cleaned up quickly."

The guard and Jyvona returned, and Ashlyn reported that someone had been in the princess' room. The guard promised that the palace would be put on high alert for an intruder in the palace.

"I'm going to take a nap," Elphaba said once the guard left, wiping her face. "And there really isn't a need to send an alert out. You two may go."

The maids glanced at each other. "Your Royal Highness," Jyvona began. "With the risk of an intruder being in the palace, it might not be best for you to be… left alone."

"I'll be fine," Elphaba frowned.

"Perhaps resting down in the parlor would be –"

"No!" She spoke with enough force to cause both maids to take a small step back. "I will straighten up in here, and then I'll take a nap. And I don't want to be disturbed unless my father wants me."

Ashlyn and Jyvona exchanged another look before curtsying and leaving the princess' room, closing the door behind them. Elphaba immediately went to work straightening up as much as she could. By the time she finished, she was completely out of energy and flopped onto the bed, sleep coming easily to her.

 _"Elphie!"_

 _Elphaba opened her eyes and gasped, seeing her best friend on her knees with her wrists and legs bound. She tried to run to her, but her feet were frozen. She tried to call out to her, but was mute._

 _"Elphie, help me!"_

 _"You can't save her." From behind Galinda, the young girl appeared, this time, her eyes blood red. "This is all your fault. Yours and your father's." She sounded like a child trying to be scary, and if it weren't for her red eyes, Elphaba wouldn't have been scared. But now, she was genuinely terrified._

 _Fiyero then appeared next to the blonde, and Nessa on the other side. His arms and hands were also bound, and he was covered in blood, with multiple cuts on his face and a swollen, black left eye. "Fae…" he whispered._

 _Nessa, also bound, had a bruised lip and her dress was soiled in dried blood. "Fabala…"_

 _Elphaba's eyes widened and she tried to escape the phantom hold on her, but to no avail._

 _"You both caused everything I love to be destroyed! My home, my country… my life! Now you both will suffer seeing everything_ you _love destroyed."_

 _Elphaba was forced to watch as a knife appeared in the girl's hand. She tried to wake herself us, but was trapped. She couldn't turn away or close her eyes. She could only watch as the knife was plunged into Galinda's side. The blonde screamed in agony as the knife was twisted inside her before being yanked out, blood quickly pooling around her as she slumped over._

 _Everything else happened quickly. Fiyero and Nessa were killed, both of them screaming and crying until they had no breath left in their lungs, and then Oscar appeared. Elphaba still tried to free herself once again, but her attempts were fruitless._

 _"Now, what to do with the ringleader?" the girl said, circling around the Wizard like a predator to its prey. "The_ wonderful _Wizard."_

 _Oscar didn't move or made any notion that he heard her. The young girl opened her palm and a ball of crackling lightning appeared. Right before she jolted him with it, Oscar finally looked up at Elphaba, his eyes seemingly pleading for something. But before Elphaba could figure out what, he convulsed as the lightning coursed through his body, killing him quickly._

 _"Now, for_ you _," the girl said, finally turning back to Elphaba. She waved her hand and a large book appeared in her arms, and the green girl immediately recognized it as the Grimmerie. She flipped through the book and a cold smirk spread across her face as she began to chant._

 _Elphaba immediately doubled over, falling to her knees as a sharp pain filled her body. She was finally allowed to scream, and did so with all her strength._

 _"You_ will _pay!" was the last thing she heard before finally being released from the nightmare._

The guard standing outside the bedroom door heard a loud scream, followed by a thud, and didn't think twice before pushing the door open. "Princess!" he exclaimed, seeing the green girl curled in a fetal position on the floor, screaming and sobbing. He rushed over to her and gently touched her shoulder.

Elphaba, still not fully back to reality, pushed the hand away with more force than she usually had. Her cries summoned Jyvona and Ashlyn back, and they had a more successful time bringing her back.

Once she was fully awake, the two maids and the guard immediately asked her what was wrong, but instead of answering, she pushed herself up and past them and ran out. She practically flew to the throne room, not even waiting for the guards to open the door for her.

Oscar immediately looked up in surprise and stood, not expecting anyone to come in, but immediately softened when he saw his daughter. "Elphaba, what…" He trailed off when he saw her bloodshot eyes and tear-stained cheeks. He hurried over to her, but wasn't fully ready for her to practically throw herself onto him and tightly wrap her arms around his waist, but quickly caught her and recovered. "Are you alright?" he asked, hugging her close. "What happened?"

"She's going to kill you."

"What? Who?"

"The girl. I keep seeing her in my dreams and I don't know how to make it stop. She's going to kill Galinda, Fiyero, Nessa, and you before killing me."

"Oh, nova," Oscar whispered, kissing her hair and rubbing her back. "It was just a nightmare. No one is going to kill anyone."

"It wasn't just a nightmare. I saw that girl in my room. She tried to strangle me."

Oscar looked down at his daughter. "The intruder tried to strangle you?"

"It was like… she was real… but not real at the same time. She wasn't a ghost, but she didn't have a fully corporeal body either, and…" She stopped short, looking up at her father. "You don't believe me, do you?"

The Wizard bit his lip. "Elphaba, I –"

"You think I'm going crazy! You think I imagined everything! Well, I didn't! And I haven't been having ordinary nightmares! They are _visions_ and she keeps saying that I will pay and everyone I love will suffer because of it and you don't believe me!" Fresh tears filled her eyes as she ran away again.

"Elphaba!" Oscar called after her.

* * *

 **The next chapter will come with a crucial explanation. Any guesses as to who the girl is?**


	16. Set Free

For the rest of the week, Elphaba was plagued with nightmares, most of them causing her to wake up in a cold sweat, screaming. When she woke up, she would see the girl standing over her, the Grimmerie open in her arms. She took to trying to stay awake all night, but it wasn't very successful.

She tried to forget about it by throwing herself into her new job. Viktor helped her create a schedule for herself, attending events three days a week.

"This is quite a lot to start off with, Your Royal Highness," Viktor said, looking at the schedule they just finished. "Are you sure you want to –"

"I'm sure," Elphaba quickly cut him off. Maybe if she kept herself busy, she would be okay.

Her father's assistant still looked unsure, but simply nodded and bowed before leaving. Elphaba looked over her schedule and made a few mental notes before leaving it on the table as she moved to the library. She had to continue her search on what Oz was like before her father took power. Most of her searches were fruitless, since most of the information on the Ozma reigns was erased from history. She knew that life under most of their reign was pretty rough and chaotic, so anyone alive during that time would most likely not want to relive it. Her only option was to practically raid the library and continue searching.

The history section wasn't very helpful. There were many biographies of famous people and a few general histories of the countries of Oz and beyond, but nothing on the Ozmas. The only things were footnotes and some names and dates, but nothing solid that she could use.

"The Ozmas ruled Oz for almost five centuries and there's nothing on them?" Elphaba huffed to herself. The Wizard's history was only twenty-one years old, and yet there seemed to be no history before him.

Then she got it.

Books about the old Ozma reign were already scarce and the information was fuzzy, and the ones they had weren't part of the public viewing. She figured she had to go back to that secret room for a better chance of finding answers.

It felt creepy to be there again. She felt like this was the place where it all started. She used her magic to light up the room and began her search. She searched for twenty-minutes before collapsing against the wall, exhausted. She couldn't find anything that could help her. She stared at the uncovered painting of the little girl and studied it closely. She saw some writing in the corner and squinted at it. It was a signature; probably of the artist. She wasn't completely sure, but it looked like an _A. V. Taboureen_.

Taboureen was a very common last name in the Vinkus, so she figured her best bet was to write to Fiyero and ask him to find out more about the artist and which Ozma he painted. At least it was a place to start.

After dinner, she drafted her letter to Fiyero. She would start her official work the next day, so she knew she wouldn't have much free time afterwards, which was what she secretly hoped for to forget about the girl.

She was a week into her events when the prince's response arrived. She was on such a tight schedule that even her bathroom breaks had to be planned, so she was more than grateful to sit down and read the letter.

 _Dearest Fae,_

 _I don't know why you agreed to such a tight schedule. Even for you, that's overkill. But if you trust your own judgment, I suppose I should, too._

 _I don't know much about the Ozmas. The Vinkus was a completely separate country from Oz before the Wizard came. But I found some information about the artist A. V. Taboureen. Her full name is Ahaziah Verina Taboureen. She was a Vinkun painter, most famous for her public portraits of the royal family. Her last portrait was actually of my parents after they were married, but she died before I was born. According to her biography, she was summoned to Oz by King Pastoria of Oz, also known as the Ozma Regent, to paint his thirteen-year-old daughter, Ozma the Young, shortly before the Wizard's rise to power._

Elphaba didn't read the rest of the letter. She finally had her hard proof of who the girl was; Ozma the Young, the last Ozma. Now she just had to figure out the direct connection between her and her father. She had to find out exactly how her father rose to power.

"Ah, Your Royal Highness, there you are," Viktor said as he walked into the parlor. "The society tea at the race track for next week needs your approval."

"Approval for what?" she asked, putting Fiyero's letter aside and glancing over the list.

"Mostly the menu, and a few more guests have sent in their confirmations."

She half-heartedly scanned everything over and handed it back to Viktor. "It looks fine."

"Are you… feeling alright?"

"Yes. Just tired."

"If you wish to take on fewer duties –"

"No, I'm fine."

Viktor bowed and left. Elphaba grabbed her letter and continued writing, but before she finished, Jyvona appeared and told her that her special gown for the art gala opening had arrived. She tried to make the fitting as quick as possible, wanting to finish the letter before she was whisked off to do something else. Though she was optimistic, she knew that it most likely wouldn't happen. And sure enough, as soon as she was finished, it was time to leave for the senior center garden opening.

When Viktor first told her about it, her initial response had been, "Do they really need me to open up a garden?". Viktor's response had been that it was more of needing her to have more public appearances than anything else.

So Elphaba went, smiling as she made a speech, cut the ribbon, and talked to the elderly residences and staff. By the time she returned to the palace, she was completely drained and went straight to bed, refusing dinner. She didn't even want to _think_ about what the following day looked like.

* * *

 _"You think_ I'm _the villain of Oz? You and your father are the villains! You're the ruthless invaders who came into_ my _land and stole_ my _throne from me! The time is soon coming where I will return and I will take back what's rightfully mine!"_

Elphaba shot up, a scream stuck in her throat as she gasped for air. Her head was throbbing, like someone was inside pounding to get out.

This had to end now.

But as she looked around, she found that she didn't recognize her surroundings. She wasn't in her bed, or even in her room. She was outside in the gardens. How did she get out here? She had fallen asleep in her bed the previous night.

She slowly rose to her feet, feeling uncharacteristically wobbly. She was only wearing her nightgown, and the cold wind sent a sharp chill through her body. She hurried back inside, stealthily avoiding the guards, but instead of going back to her room, she went into the parlor. The fire in the hearth was almost out, leaving mostly faint embers, but the heat was still there. She sat in front of the fire, her knees curled into her chest, watching the embers spark and allowing her eyes to slowly flutter closed.

"THE PRINCESS IS MISSING!"

Elphaba jumped at the loud voices and groaned as her lower back protested. Sleeping on the floor wasn't the best option. She pushed herself to her feet and sleepily shuffled out of the parlor, immediately met by a frantic Ashlyn.

"Oh! There you are, Your Royal Highness," she said with a curtsy. "Good morning. Are you… um… you woke up early?"

"Yes." She really didn't feel like telling Ashlyn what really happened.

"Oh. We're running behind schedule, Princess. Your father wants you to join him for breakfast in half an hour and help with his anniversary preparations before you leave for the society garden tea this afternoon."

Elphaba bit back a groan. She had absolutely no desire to go to a society party with a bunch of snooty, rich people making snide comments about her skin in an overly polite voice.

By the time she met her father for breakfast, she felt like she already had a full day. She was exhausted and wasn't even very hungry, and simply pushed her eggs around her plate.

"Elphaba?"

She looked up.

"What's wrong?"

"I… didn't get much sleep last night."

"You slept in front of the fire. Was your room not comfortable? You couldn't have been cold on such a warm night."

"I'm fine. I just… couldn't sleep."

"Did you have a bad dream?"

"More like a nightmare."

"Still the same?"

Elphaba nodded slightly. "When do we start planning?"

Oscar didn't want to change the subject, but knew better than to keep pushing her. "I was hoping as soon as possible, so we can get a lot done before you leave."

She nodded and quickly finished her breakfast. Oscar finished soon after and they both went to his office to look over the plans. Viktor came when they were about halfway through to collect what they had approved.

"I think that's enough for now," Oscar said, checking his watch. "We accomplished a lot in two hours. We still have two months before the anniversary."

Elphaba checked the time. She had half-an-hour before having to leave for the tea. She spent it resting in her room, drifting in and out of consciousness. Jyvona came to get her when it was time to leave, and she left for the party.

"… And what do you think, Your Royal Highness?"

Elphaba blinked and searched for an appropriate answer, even though she didn't hear the question. Luckily, one of the other society ladies beat her to it.

"I think that it should be brought before the Wizard to review. The Animal problem is getting out of control."

Elphaba's eyebrow rose, but lowered it before anyone noticed. "Animal problem?"

"Yes, Princess," an older woman, a Duchess, said. "Animals have been mixing circles with humans for years. It wasn't much better under the Ozma reign, but it certainly wasn't as bad as this."

"There's even an Antelope teaching at my great-niece's elementary school," another interjected.

"How dreadful!"

"There are Animal teachers at Shiz University, as well. I always considered that school among the most prestigious in the country. To employ Animal teachers is simply disheartening."

"What next; they'll start admitting Animal _students_?"

Elphaba frowned. "The Animal professors at Shiz are some of the smartest, kindest professors I've ever met."

"Oh. I forgot you attend that university, Your Royal Highness. It must be simply horrendible for you to have to endure that and be taught by those creatures."

"It's not awful at all." The green girl was trying her hardest to keep her composure, lest all of Oz hear that she flew off the handle. "My favorite class is taught by an Animal; a Goat, to be precise."

"A _Goat_ professor? Whatever next!" an old woman scowled.

"If our great Wizard cannot rectify this problem during his time, I assume we can trust you to, Your Royal Highness?" the Duchess sniffed.

 _That's it!_ "Excuse me, please," she said, way-too-politely, as she stood. "I… need to get out of the sun for a moment."

She left the table and went to go back inside. The guard stationed at the door looked surprised to see her, but bowed nonetheless.

"I need you to think of an excuse to take me back to the palace now," she told him. "Please."

"Are you ill, Princess?" he asked.

"I will be if we don't leave as soon as possible."

The guard nodded and Elphaba went back outside, disappointed that she couldn't hide forever. A few long clock-ticks later, he appeared at Elphaba's side. "Pardon me, Your Royal Highness, but I've just received a message from His Ozness. He wants you back at the palace immediately."

"Of course," Elphaba nodded and stood, as did everyone else. She made her goodbye and thank you rounds as quickly as possible before leaving with the guard. "Thank you," she whispered to him as he helped her into the carriage.

"Of course, Your Royal Highness," he nodded, closing the door and climbing onto the back.

When Elphaba returned to the palace, her father wasn't in his office, which she was glad of. It saved her from having to explain why she was back early. She went up to her room, effectively avoiding her maids, and shut the door behind her. She went to her bed, but paused when she saw what was resting on her pillow.

The Grimmerie.

There was an unsigned note on top, written in neat cursive.

 _If you want to be set free, you must crack the code._

* * *

 **Up next: more about the Grimmerie, Wizard, and his rise to power!**


	17. Questions and Trials

Oscar wasn't surprised when he walked into the observatory and found Elphaba looking at the sky through the telescope. "Clear night tonight."

She looked up and sighed. "Yeah."

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"Elphaba –"

"I'm fine. Just… can I ask you something?"

Oscar sat across from her. "Yes?"

"How did you ascend to the throne of Oz?"

Oscar blinked, clearly surprised by the question, but relaxed as he went into the story. "I first arrived when the people were forming the Ozma Resistance. I saw their suffering first-hand through my travels, and they told me how miserable their lives were. They all thought I was the prophesied sorcerer who was destined to save them."

"Were you?"

"I was never informed ahead of time, but they all put their trust in me, so I couldn't let them down. It's a well-kept secret that I'm good at chemistry, specifically chemical reactions that cause spontaneous combustions, as well as illusions. Those two things combined gave off the impression that I had magic."

"And that's how you won the battle against Ozma?"

"The Ozians quickly rallied behind me. To be honest, I wasn't quite sure what I was doing, but they needed a leader. I led a surprise attack on the Ozandra Towers, the royal residence of the Ozmas."

"Did you… was she… killed?"

"My original plan wasn't to kill anyone, even though the people wanted to see the Ozma dead. I never saw her, but according to the people, she was a vile leader with no shred of beauty to her name."

That didn't match the painting she saw, but she said nothing. "Then what happened?"

"I went in with a small group of soldiers to find out where they were. Instead, we were met by a young girl who looked prepared to fight us. She claimed that we were trespassing intruders in her castle and that we should leave immediately if we wanted our lives spared. I then realized that she was the Ozma, but that didn't match the description I was told."

"You saw her?"

Oscar nodded. "I'll never forget it. She was just a child, a young teenager at most, with long, golden hair, soft blue eyes, and even softer features."

 _That matches the description of the Ozma the Young painting_ , Elphaba thought.

"She looked so pure and innocent. I don't know if the Ozians knew, or if they just didn't care, but she was a young adolescent. She began attacking us with magic, which we barely managed to dodge. I don't remember most of what happened, but then a single shot rang out and everything seemed to stop. I looked up and the Ozma was on her knees, blood quickly pooling around her. My pistol was hot, and I realized that the bullet came from my gun, but I never pulled the trigger. It was an accident."

"An accident?"

"I tried to help her, but she forced me back. Her magic blasted me so hard I hit the opposite wall. The soldiers were still defensive, lest she tried to attack us again, but I doubted she would."

"What did you do with her body?"

"There wasn't a body. As she was dying, she turned into a red mist and vanished. The soldiers didn't know I had a pistol. They thought I had used magic to get rid of her for good. We came out and announced to everything that she was dead and they all rejoiced. I was their hero and crowned the Wonderful Wizard of Oz that very day."

"Where were the Ozandra Towers?"

"Right here. The Ozians didn't want me to live in the old castle, since it was part of the old reign, so it was torn down. Since the emerald mines were overflowing, they used the jewels to build the palace. There were lots left over and I decided my first act as Wizard of Oz would be to build the Emerald City, as well as the Yellow Brick Road with the gold surplus."

Elphaba was silent as she processed all of this new information.

"This all happened after I met your mother, of course."

"I figured."

"Did I answer your questions? Do you have any more?"

"You did. And no, I don't. Thank you."

Oscar's lips curled slightly. "Of course, nova." He stood to leave. "If you need me, I'll be –"

"Have you ever heard of the Grimmerie?" she asked suddenly.

A shadow crossed Oscar's face, but disappeared as quickly as it appeared. "Why?"

"I was just wondering –"

"No, Elphaba. You weren't 'just wondering'. Why do you want to know about the Grimmerie?"

"I read that it's one of the most powerful books in Oz, but it's not from this world. I figured you might know something about it. Madame Morrible's only mentioned it in passing."

Oscar sat back down with a sigh. "You're right. The book comes from my world. I don't know much about it, but what I do know is that it's a diary of spells and potions by a witch named Magdela Nursery. I learned about her in school. She called it her 'recipe book for change', though no one knows what type of change she was referring to. She lived in a place called Massachusetts, in the country I'm from, America. The specific town was called Salem. There, having magical powers isn't normal; it's considered an evil sin worthy of death. In the year 1692 –"

"1692?"

"Earth years work differently than Oz years. In Earth time, this happened over two hundred years ago. There was a great hysteria there called the Salem Witch Trials, where people were convicted of being witches and if they didn't confess, they were killed. She was convicted of being a witch and hanged. After her death, the people searched for her diary to burn it, but it was never found. It was rumored that she sent it someplace else to protect it."

"And that 'someplace else' was here?"

"Yes. According to Ozian legend, an old fairy found it and gifted to one of the Ozmas, and that's what gave them their extraordinary powers through their descendants. Shortly after I became Wizard, it was brought to me and I was told I was the only one who could keep it safe. I looked at it, but I didn't understand most of it. It was in a language I barely recognized, not even old English. I've hidden it someplace safe where no one will ever find it."

"Was she from Oz? Did she have any connections here?"

"I don't know, Elphaba."

"Is there a secret code to crack in it?"

"Secret code?"

She had said too much. She had to try to retract. "Most personal books like that have a secret code that the writers create to help others finish the work they've started. If she couldn't complete her desired change, she would have left secret clues for someone else to do it."

"Even if she did, we'll never know. That book is out of sight and out of mind, and I need it to stay that way. Elphaba, I don't know why you're asking me these questions, or why you're so invested in this, but you must promise me that you won't go looking for that book. It's very dangerous, and in the wrong hands, it could set all hell loose. The Ozmas used it to abuse their power, and the last thing we need is a repeat of that. Promise me, Elphaba."

"I promise, Dad," Elphaba said, though she had already broken that promise.

Oscar smiled as stood. "Good. Thank you." He kissed her forehead. "If you need me, I'll be in the throne room. Don't stay up here too late."

Elphaba watched him go and looked through the telescope again before jotting down a quick note.

* * *

The green girl was exhausted.

The combination of little-to-no sleep with too many engagements made it hard for her to keep her life together. She knew this was her future and that she had brought this upon herself when she made her schedule, and she was regretting it.

But today, she was actually looking forward to her visit. She would be going back to the Shiz Orphanage and Transitional Home, specifically to talk about plans to split them up and improve the living conditions. She would have been much more excited if she was more energized.

She was able to take a nap on the way there, which left her slightly better and more mentally energized. When she got there, Mr. Pruntz was outside waiting for her.

"Welcome back, Your Royal Highness," he bowed.

"Thank you, Mr. Pruntz," Elphaba smiled as she was led inside.

She sat with Mr. Pruntz in his office to discuss the splitting of the two institutions and where everyone would be housed.

"I would say the maximum length of time a family can stay in the transitional home would be two years. Then it will be the job of the special counselors to help them find affordable homes of their own. As for the orphanage, there should be at least one open house per month so the children have better chances of getting adopted. I will personally oversee the funding and building management and upkeep."

Mr. Pruntz nodded as he took notes. "Very good, Princess."

The door opened and both adults turned to see two young Animals run in. "Mr. Pruntz, Cleryn and Alenna won't share the –" They both stopped when they saw Elphaba.

"Ebaline and Kilyer, what have I told you about entering my office without knocking?" Mr. Pruntz sighed.

"Not to," Kilyer blinked innocently, though his gaze never left Elphaba.

"And how many time have you done this?"

"A lot," Ebaline said just as innocently.

Mr. Pruntz sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I apologize, Your Royal Highness."

"It's alright," Elphaba smiled as she stood. "It's nice to see you again, Kilyer and Ebaline."

The two smiled and stepped forward for a hug, but stopped before bowing and curtsying. The green girl smiled and gave the two a hug, which they quickly returned.

"Are you here to play with us again?" Ebaline asked.

"Children, the princess and I are in the middle of a very important meeting," Mr. Pruntz frowned.

"Are you all in the rec room?" Elphaba asked.

"Uh-huh," Kilyer nodded.

"Alright. As soon as I'm finished, I'll come up."

"Yay!" the children cheered and ran out.

"It's okay," Elphaba said to the look on Mr. Pruntz's face.

They finished making the checklist for the new preparations, answering any questions still lingering in the air, and when they were finished, Mr. Pruntz escorted Elphaba and the guard up to the rec room.

"May I have everyone's attention, please!" Mr. Pruntz announced in a loud voice. "We have a very special surprise visitor today!"

Elphaba smiled softly as surprised gasps and whispers of 'It's the princess' filled her ears. She recognized a few faces, but now the older children were also there. She felt a slight tug on her dress and looked down to see a young girl holding a book up.

"Storytime?" she asked softly, looking up at the green girl with wide, innocent eyes.

"Of course," Elphaba smiled and went back to her old storytelling seat.

The younger children immediately gathered around her, while the older kids stayed near the back. She read two stories, then switched activities with the older kids, who were mostly interested in her magic. She wasn't one for performing her magic outside of Morrible's sorcery seminar, but was able to levitate a few things and make toys jump and dance around, much to everyone's delight. One Pig asked her if she could make him fly, to which all she could reply was, "I don't think that would be the best idea".

She was in the middle of watching a double-dutch routine when she felt a gentle hand on her side and looked down to see a familiar face.

"Hi, Zola," she smiled, kneeling down and gently wrapping her arms around the little girl.

"Hi. You came back," the child said, returning the hug. "And you remembered me."

"Of course I did." She waited until the teenagers finished their routine and applauded before giving Zola her undivided attention. "How have you been? Have you made more friends?"

Zola nodded excitedly and began to tell Elphaba about everything that had happened since she had last visited. She clearly had grown chattier since their last meeting. The green girl listened intently, smiling and laughing with the child.

"I want to show you something," Zola said suddenly, taking Elphaba's hand.

Elphaba followed Zola to the other side of the room, carefully guiding her around the tables, chairs, and the other children. They stopped in front of a large window with a seat and Zola climbed up, pressing her hands against the window.

"We're growing a garden," she announced happily.

Elphaba looked down at the assortment of flowers and smiled. "It's very pretty. Especially from up here."

"And we each got to plant our own flowers. Ebaline said my flower has a ribbon tied to it so I can find it. Do you see it?"

It took some searching, but Elphaba finally spotted the flower in question near the corner with a green ribbon tied around it. "I see it. The ribbon really makes it stand out."

Zola grinned. "And a bunch of people are coming here next week. Mr. Pruntz said that they're looking to adopt us. And we have to be on our best behavior if we want to get picked. Do you think I'll get picked?"

Elphaba smiled and gently placed her hand on the girl's shoulder. "I hope you will, Zola. I really do."

Before she knew it, it was time for Elphaba to leave. The children were upset she had to leave again, but getting individual hugs seemed to lessen their sadness.

"I promise I'll be back," she said to everyone, gently releasing Zola.

"Promise?" Kilyer asked.

"Promise," Elphaba nodded.

* * *

The following morning, Elphaba came down to breakfast fatigued and cranky. She had a horrible dream and was already set on not telling anyone about it. She met her father in the dining room, whose face was sullen as he starred at a notice.

"What is it?" Elphaba asked as she took her seat.

Oscar blinked and looked up at his daughter, seemingly debating whether or not to tell her. "The Shiz Orphanage and Transitional Home suffered a terrible fire last night. Everything burned down."

Elphaba froze, her breath hitched in her throat. "No…"

"So far, there haven't been any deaths, but many were rushed to the hospital for smoke inhalation, mostly the orphaned children."

"It's my fault…"

"What?"

"My dream… I couldn't control it…"

"Nova, what are you talking about?"

"I was there… the fire… my magic… It was in my hand…"

"That was just a dream, nova. It wasn't real."

"I started that fire. I watched the center burn to the ground. I didn't move… I couldn't stop it or save anyone. I heard their screams… their cries. I smelt their…" She slid out of her chair, collapsing to her knees and she clutched her chest.

Her father was by her side in a heartbeat. He immediately collected her into his arms. He didn't know what was plaguing her, or what he could do to stop it. "It was just a dream."

"It wasn't a dream. I caused it! It's all my fault! They have nowhere to go and it's my fault."

Oscar could sense that if he tried to convince her otherwise, they would just go in circles. He held her closer, which she didn't fight. "You're very stressed," he finally said. "You're overworking yourself. You've given yourself more than you can handle. We'll take away some of your duties. You've just completed your first year of college, and I want you to spend the rest of your vacation resting."

"But –"

"No 'buts'. You're giving yourself these nightmares and I hate seeing you like this. I will handle the orphanage and transitional home. I just want you to take it easy and don't bite off more than you can chew."

Elphaba opened her mouth to argue, but suddenly lost the strength to continue the argument. Oscar knew he won and escorted her back to her room.

"Try to go back to sleep, nova," he said, helping her back into bed. He kissed her cheek and left.

Elphaba curled into herself, hugging her knees as tight as she could, allowing the tears to come freely. As she cried, a familiar figure appeared, almost fully corporeal, but this time, Elphaba knew who she was.

"Ozma," she whispered, weakly pushing herself up.

"That fire was your fault!" the apparition sneered. " _You_ caused it!"

"No. No, I didn't."

"You know you did, so don't bother trying to deny it. You think that was just a dream, but it wasn't. But don't worry. My little party's just beginning. And if you don't believe me, why don't you try studying the _nursery rhymes_?" With a smirk, she lunged to grab her throat, and Elphaba was barely able to jump away.

* * *

 **Was the fire Elphaba's doing?**


	18. Fires and Liars

The summer vacation days couldn't have passed slower for the Vinkun prince. It was finally August first, which meant he was finally seeing his girlfriend again. Their letters had been few and far between, but the prince understood. They were both extremely busy, albeit she was much busier than he was.

As the Emerald City Palace came into view, he couldn't wipe the wide grin off his face. The gates slowly opened, allowing his carriage entrance.

 _I'm coming, Fae_ , he thought happily.

His carriage stopped in front of the door and a middle-aged man in a dark emerald suit stepped down.

"Welcome, Prince Fiyero," the man said with a bow as Fiyero got out of the carriage. "I'm Viktor Baum, assistant to His Ozness."

"Mr. Baum," Fiyero nodded and followed him up the stairs and into the palace.

"Please make yourself comfortable," Viktor said, leading Fiyero into the parlor. "I'll tell Her Royal Highness that you've arrived."

Fiyero sat down on the sofa. He didn't know why, but for some reason, he felt nervous to see his girlfriend again after all this time. Their communication hadn't been the best, and they had so much to catch up on. Footsteps caught his attention and he stood as Elphaba came into the parlor. He grinned widely and moved to hug her, but stopped.

She was thinner, much thinner than he remembered. Her chocolate eyes that used to sparkle were now dull and practically devoid of life. She looked weak, both mentally and physically. The bags under her eyes told him that she probably hadn't had a good night's sleep in days, or even weeks. Her usually vibrant verdigris was reduced to a lackluster hue.

"Oh, Fae," he whispered, gently pulling her into his arms, as if she were made out of breakable china.

It took a while for Elphaba to reciprocate the hug, which broke Fiyero's heart even more. He could feel that she barely had any strength left in her body. When she didn't move, he was almost convinced she had fallen asleep standing up. He didn't know what to say to her. He didn't know what he could or _should_ say.

"You need rest," he said, gently pulling away and looking into her eyes. "When did you last eat?"

Elphaba gave a slight shrug and looked down. The prince gently cupped her chin and lifted her head to look at him. The usual fire he was accustomed to seeing was completely extinguished. Wordlessly, he wrapped an arm around her waist and led her back up the stairs.

"Where's your room?" he asked.

"Why?"

"Because you're going to rest."

"Yero –"

"I'll stay with you. I won't leave. But you will take a nap and then eat something."

Too weak to protest, Elphaba led her boyfriend to her room and opened the door. She walked directly to bed, and Fiyero pulled back the covers and helped take off her shoes and glasses. As soon as Elphaba's head hit the pillow, she was fast asleep. The prince pulled up a chair and sat down next to her, taking her hand as he kept his silent vigil.

Ten minutes later, someone softly knocked at the door. Elphaba stirred, but didn't open her eyes, so Fiyero went to go answer it.

"Oh, Your Highness," the maid curtsied. "I've come to inform the princess that Miss Galinda and Miss Nessarose have arrived."

"Please send them up here," Fiyero said, glancing at Elphaba. "And please bring something to eat for Elphaba when she wakes up."

The maid nodded and curtsied, and Fiyero went back to Elphaba's side. When the girls came in, their sole attention was on the green girl.

"Hi, Fiyero," Galinda smiled at the prince.

"Hey, Glin, Nessa."

"Hi, Fiyero," Nessa smiled, wheeling to her sister's other side. "Is Fabala okay?"

"I don't know. She barely said three words to me when I got here. She looked overworked and undernourished."

"What has she been doing that's been draining her like this?" Galinda asked, sitting down on the bed.

"The last letter I received from her, she said her father changed her schedule from one event a day to two events per week," Nessa quipped.

"I haven't received a letter from her in over a month," Fiyero sighed.

"Neither have I," Galinda said. "Has she been receiving our letters?"

"I think that's them on her desk," Nessa said, wheeling over and looking at the papers. "Yes, they're all here. At least she read them and…" She trailed off, picking up a piece of paper.

"What is it, Nessa?" Fiyero questioned, looking up.

"It seems like… a timeline of some sort."

Galinda went over to her. "It looks like a timeline of the Ozma reigns."

The brunette scanned the names her sister noted. "It is."

Fiyero opened his mouth to speak, but a knock at the door beat him to it. Galinda answered it and it was the maid carrying a tray with a bowl of soup, a ham sandwich, and a glass of water. "I brought food for the princess."

"Thank you. I'll take it." the blonde offered, taking the tray, closing the door with her foot, and setting the food on the desk.

"May I see the notes?" Fiyero asked.

Nessa wheeled over to the prince and handed him the paper. Fiyero noticed that her handwriting was sloppier than normal, signaling that she had probably written this in a rush.

 _The fairy queens Lurline and Preenella enchanted Oz, beginning the common years. They ruled in tandem for 100 years before anointing the Ozma line to rule and leaving the land._

 _Ozma the Valiant – year 100 to year 175_

 _Ozma the Wild – year 175 to year 222_

 _Ozma the Practical – year 222 to year 252_

 _Ozma the Gentle – year 252 to 265_

 _Ozma the Brave – year 265 to year 304_

 _Ozma the Just – year 304 to year 356_

 _Ozma the Hunter – year 356 to year 391_

 _Ozma the Dark – year 391 to 433 (Dark Age of Oz)_

 _Ozma the Bloody – year 433 to year 468 (Bloody War from 437 to 443)_

 _Ozma the Majestic – year 468 to year 486_

 _Ozma the Bilious – year 486 to year 491 (Great Drought started in 490)_

 _King Pastoria (Ozma Regent) – year 491 to year 492_

 _Ozma the Young, year 492 to year 493 (Age fourteen. Great Drought ended in 493)_

"Why would Elphie write a timeline of the Ozma reigns? And why is the last one underlined and starred?" Galinda blinked.

"Her father came to power in August of 493. The last Ozma would have been Ozma the Young," Fiyero said.

"Why would she care about the last Ozma?" Nessa questioned.

"A while ago, she wrote to me asking about the painter A. V. Taboureen. I found out that she was a Vinkun painter called to Oz by King Pastoria to paint Ozma the Young, who was fourteen."

"The girl from the portrait," Galinda whispered.

"What girl? What portrait?" Nessa frowned.

"Back at Shiz, she was having nightmares of a young girl trying to kill her. She said she had seen the girl's portrait in a secret room she found."

"So, she dreamt that the last Ozma was trying to kill her? Why would she dream about that?"

"This was right before finals, so it was probably the combined stress of that and having to learn to rule a country."

"But why dream about the last Ozma trying to _kill her_? That doesn't make any sense."

"There's only one way to find out," Fiyero said, looking down at Elphaba. "We'll have to wait until she wakes up."

* * *

For the first time in a while, Elphaba was able to get a decent amount of productive rest. When she opened her eyes, she felt other presences in her room.

"Fabala, you're awake."

She turned her head and saw her sister wheel over to her and hand her her glasses from her nightstand. She slipped them onto her face and pushed herself up. Fiyero and Galinda were asleep; the prince by her bedside and the blonde by the window.

"Nessa... how long was I asleep? What time did you get here?" Elphaba asked through a yawn.

"Galinda and I arrived around two hours ago. Fiyero was already here. Are you feeling better?" Nessa asked as she woke the blonde.

"A bit." She smiled as she slowly slid closer to the prince and took his hand.

Fiyero's eyes slowly fluttered open and he sniffed loudly before his gaze found Elphaba's. "Hey," he smiled, his voice husky with sleep. "How are you feeling?"

"Better," she responded, pushing herself up and planting a gentle kiss on his lips.

"A maid brought food for you while you slept," Nessa offered, gesturing to the tray.

Elphaba frowned slightly. "I didn't –"

"I did," Fiyero interjected. "You look like you haven't eaten in days."

"I'm not hungry."

"Just try to eat something."

Elphaba frowned, but reluctantly pushed herself out of bed. She was a bit wobbly on her feet, and her boyfriend was quick to catch her. She glared at him, but he ignored her as he helped her to the desk and sat down.

"Not very hungry, huh?" Fiyero smirked as she finished the sandwich.

"Shut up."

"The soup's probably freezing by now," Galinda said.

"I'm fine," Elphaba said, finishing the glass of water.

"Fabala, we have to ask you something," Nessa said, nervously playing with the hem of her skirt.

"Yes?"

"We found your list of the Ozmas," the brunette began.

"And made the connection between Ozma the Young and your father," Galinda added. "That she's the girl from the painting you told me about… and dreamt about."

"And we know there something you're not telling us," Fiyero concluded.

Elphaba was silent.

"Or _a lot_ you're not telling us," Galinda added.

"You went through my papers?" Elphaba finally asked.

"Not on purpose," Nessa defended. "We just saw that you had opened our letters, but we never got responses from you."

"I've been busy."

"We understand. But we also know that your father recently lessened your responsibilities. So what were you busy doing?" Fiyero asked.

"Helping him plan his anniversary celebrations."

"That wouldn't have taken up all your free time, Fae."

"I've been very busy, and that's all the three of you need to know."

"Does this have anything to do with the Grimmerie?" Galinda questioned, sitting on her friend's bed.

Elphaba froze and slowly turned to face her best friend. "What?"

"The Grimmerie. You have it. It's in this room."

"How do you…"

Galinda stood, closed her eyes, and muttered a few words under her breath. She turned her head towards the wardrobe and when she opened her eyes, headed directly there. Elphaba held her breath as the blonde opened the door and did some rummaging around before pulling out the large tome.

"How did you know it was there?" Nessa asked.

"Elphaba's not the only one who with magic." She opened the book and flipped through a few pages. "What funny writing… what does vegos –"

"Don't read it out loud!" Elphaba demanded, rushing to the blonde and grabbing the book. "One wrong word and a spell could have catastrophic consequences, especially if they're not said in their entirety."

"What is that?" Fiyero asked.

"The Grimmerie," Galinda answered when it was clear Elphaba wasn't going to. "It's a powerful, ancient book of spells and enchantment."

"Why is it here?"

"I don't know, but I have a feeling Elphie does."

"Of course I do, but that doesn't mean I going to drag you all into it," Elphaba snapped, hugging the book closer and moving back to her bed.

"It's all connected; the Grimmerie, the last Ozma, and your nightmares. I know that; I just don't know how it all flows together," Galinda said, sitting next to her friend. "I want you to tell us, Elphaba, so we can help you."

"Who said I wanted your help?"

"No one, but we all know you need it."

"This is my problem and I can solve it on my own."

"But you don't have to. We told you, when you made the decision to be the heir to Oz, that we would stand by you and support you," Nessa said, wheeling over to her sister and taking her hands. "And that's just what we intend to do."

"Whether you want us to or not, so you might as well tell us everything," Fiyero said, giving his girlfriend a look.

Elphaba could have just kept denying them, but with their eyes on her, she felt that if she didn't, they would eventually force her to. So she told them everything from the beginning.

"And then the fire happened. The night before, I had a dream that _I_ had set the centers ablaze. I couldn't control my actions, and I couldn't move. I had to simply stand there and watch it burn to the ground."

"But that was just a dream. It couldn't have meant anything," Nessa said. "You wouldn't do something like that."

"They still don't know what caused the fire. And my father won't tell me where all the families and orphans went. He just said they're safe and taken care of until the new separate centers are built."

"And the Grimmerie?" Galinda asked.

"What about it?"

"Is that what you've been busy doing? Translating and testing the spells?"

"…Yes."

"And all of that magic is tiring you out?"

"Every time I read it, I feel like it's draining my energy, as in, _absorbing_ it, but I don't understand why."

"Then why do you keep reading it?"

"It's the only way to figure out how to get rid of the last Ozma."

"Get rid of? But… she's been dead for over twenty years," Fiyero blinked.

"My father said he killed her… but I don't think she's dead. Every time I see her, she looks more and more real and less like the ghost." She looked at the book. "There's a secret code in here that says how to get rid of her, and I have to find it."

"We want to help you," Galinda said. "We're _going_ to help you."

"Even if I say no?"

" _Especially_ if you say no," Fiyero smirked, though his eyes were nothing but caring.

Elphaba sighed. "Even if I wanted help, I don't even know what you could help me with."

"We're first going to make sure you don't wear yourself out with this book," Galinda said. "Especially with your father's anniversary this week. You need to be focused and energized. We'll address the Ozma problem afterward."

Fiyero looked down at his girlfriend and gently pulled her closer. "Okay?" he asked.

Elphaba's lips twitched as she leaned against him. "Okay."

* * *

 **Yes, the gang is back together! But for how long? *Cackle***


	19. Grand Entrances

Galinda huffed as she closed another door. She couldn't find Elphaba anywhere. It was the night before the Wizard's anniversary and she was nowhere to be found. What if she was hurt, or worse… what if she was reading the Grimmerie again?

She hurried back into the parlor, where Fiyero was napping and Nessa was reading by an open window. "Elphie's missing!" she practically shouted.

Fiyero shot up. "Wh-What?" he asked, rubbing his neck.

"Elphie's missing! I can't find her anywhere!"

"The last I saw her, she was with the Wizard in the throne room," Nessa said, closing her book. "She wasn't there?"

"No."

"You checked her bedroom?"

"Yes."

"And the gardens?"

"Yes!"

"And the library?"

"Of course! And she's not in any of those places. What if she's in trouble? What if she's hurt? What if she's been kidnapped?"

"Glin, calm down," Fiyero sighed. "I'm sure Fae is fine and just –"

"The bathrooms!" the blonde gasped. "I haven't checked the bathrooms yet!"

"Galinda, wait!" the two called after her as she ran out.

"Sweet Oz, she's too much," Nessa groaned. "I don't know how Fabala lives with her."

"I think she was a tiny bit calmer before she found out Elphaba was a princess."

"You think so?"

"A tiny bit. But I think I know where Fae might be." The prince stood and hurried up the stairs, down the long hallway, and up more flights of stairs to the observatory. He paused for a moment at the top, slightly winded. He slowly pushed the door open and his gaze immediately found his girlfriend sitting by the telescope, watching the sky with her naked eyes. Smiling, he quietly approached her and wrapped his arms around her from behind, startling her. "Hey."

"Hi," she smiled.

He rested his chin on top of her head. "So this is your new hiding spot?"

"It was never a hiding spot. However, I was banking on the hope that neither you nor Galinda would want to climb all those steps."

"You're such an optimist."

"That's a new one."

"Why did you come up here?"

"I had to get away, because between the three of you and my father, I've barely had time to just… think. And I know you're trying to keep me occupied because of everything I told you, but I'm capable of being left alone once in a while."

"I know, and I'm sorry. This is a lot for you."

"And I can handle it."

Her tone warned him that it would be in his best interest not to argue. "Okay, Fae."

She glanced at him with narrowed eyes. "Are you agreeing with me just to shut me up?"

"No."

Elphaba slowly relaxed. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay."

The two lapsed into a comfortable silence. The prince looked up at the sky as the billions of stars sparkled and seemingly danced around.

"You came up here to do some more stargazing studying?" he asked her, breaking the silence.

"I actually came up here to read," she said, nodding to the book on the table. "But I ended up just relaxing."

"Why do you like the observatory so much?"

"Other than the fact that it's so far away from everything else?"

He chuckled. "Yes."

"I love the view of the city from up here. And the breeze is very nice, especially since it's been so hot during the day. We need a storm to cool it off."

"Just not tomorrow."

"Of course. Tomorrow's supposed to be sunny with only a few clouds."

"Are you ready?"

"Am I ready to ride around the city and smile and wave until my face falls off? Sure."

"And your magic show."

Elphaba rolled her eyes. Her father had convinced her to put on a magic spectacle for the grand finale of the parade. "I've been practicing my 'pulling a rabbit out of a hat' bit."

"That's okay, but can you detach and reattach your thumb?"

"That's not magic, Yero."

"Neither is a pulling a rabbit out of a hat," Fiyero argued, demonstrating his finger trick.

"You're just folding your pointer finger over one thumb while completely covering the other."

"And you're just… I don't know exactly how the rabbit works, but I know it's not real magic."

Elphaba rolled her eyes. "I promise you'll love it."

"I know I will. I love everything about you." He softly kissed the top of her head, then trailed down her neck to her shoulders, his arms winding tighter around her.

"Yero…" she mumbled, closing her eyes.

"I love your eyes, your lips, your hair, your smile, your brea-"

"I'm gonna stop you right there," Elphaba said, giving the prince a warning look as she removed his hands from her body.

"I was gonna say 'breath'."

"No, you weren't."

"Okay, you're right. I just love you so much, every part of you."

Elphaba rolled her eyes, but accepted another kiss from her boyfriend. "I know."

"This is when you say that you love every part of me, too."

"I love you, too, Yero. Every part of you."

The prince smiled and straightened. "I suppose I should tell you that Galinda's probably searching every bathroom in the palace looking for you."

Elphaba gave him a look. "Do I _want_ to know why?"

"She thinks you've been kidnaped."

"Dear Oz…"

"We've been up here so long, I think Nessa might start to believe her."

"Let's put their minds at ease before they recruit a Gale Force squad to search for us."

Hand in hand, the two royals walked out of the observatory and down the stairs.

"I don't suppose you could enchant the stairs so they move on their own and we don't have to climb up or down anymore."

"You're hilarious."

* * *

The next morning, the whole palace seemed to be awake before sunrise. Jyvona and Ashlyn weren't surprised to see Elphaba still asleep when they entered her room.

"Good morning, Your Royal Highness," Ashlyn said as Jyvona went to open the curtains.

The sunlight landed on Elphaba's face, effectively waking her up. "Good morning," she yawned, slipping on her glasses.

The maids curtsied and Elphaba went to get ready. After taking a shower and towel drying her hair, she put on her underclothes and twirled her robe around her shoulders before going down for breakfast. By the time she got to the dining room, Fiyero, Galinda, and Nessa were already there, though Nessa was the only one dressed. Oscar joined them a moment later and they all sat to eat. They eagerly spoke about the parade and the rest of the day's activities leading up to the grand party that evening.

"Who's singing the national anthem?" Nessa asked, being the first to finish.

"Hannalyn Ambroise from the Vinkus. She won the national youth singing competition last year," Oscar replied.

"How old is she?" Galinda inquired.

"She was thirteen when she won the competition, and she's fourteen now."

"I met her when my parents invited her to a party," Fiyero said. "She's very sweet and has a beautiful voice."

"She does. And the advanced marching band from the Ozmie Academy will be leading the parade. Along with the Ozian dignitaries, some foreign dignitaries will also be there."

"Who?" Elphaba blinked.

"Well, I don't remember all of them, but off the top of my head, the Nome King, Queen Balinza of Ev, Crown Princess Villena of Merryland, and the Royal Minister of Ix."

"They'll all be marching in the parade?" Nessa asked.

"No, they'll be seated in a special box to watch." Oscar drank his last sip of orange juice and looked at his watch. "Oh! Look at the time! We need to rush if we don't want to be late for the parade."

"How could you be late to your own parade?" Elphaba blinked, standing as her father stood.

Oscar merely gave her a slight smile before hurrying out.

The four of them parted ways to finish getting ready. Jyvona and Ashlyn had everything ready for Elphaba when she got back to her room. Even though she was more than capable of dressing herself, she had to admit; having some assistance made it easier, especially with everything running through her mind.

Her outfit for the parade consisted of a beige, short-sleeved blouse with a knee-length light emerald pleated skirt. Jyvona helped her with her locket, and for the finishing touch, she gingerly took the tiara and fixed it atop her braided bun.

"Thank you," she nodded to the maids as she tucked in her blouse and slipped on her flats.

"Your Royal Highness," they curtsied and left.

Elphaba left a moment later, not wanting to wait to be called. When she got downstairs, Fiyero was the only one there. He stood in front of a mirror, fiddling with his tie, but looked up when he heard footsteps.

"Wow," he smiled.

"Not my most extravagant ensemble, but it'll do for a parade," Elphaba grinned.

"You look beautiful."

"Thank you. You look very handsome." She stepped forward and helped him with his tie. "You're wearing your Crown Prince uniform."

"My parents are overseeing the celebrations back in the Vinkus, so I'm the official Vinkun representative here."

"Lucky you."

"I know. And you're wearing your contacts. I like being able to look directly into your eyes."

"I'm not wearing my contacts just so you can look directly into my eyes, Yero."

"I know, but I'm allowed to be happy that those small frames of glass won't get in my way."

"I'm getting more accustomed to wearing my contacts. They don't irritate my eyes as much as they used to. Probably because I usually opted to wear them this summer."

Fiyero kissed her cheek, but instead of pulling away, lingered there and slowly slid over to her lips. Elphaba bit back an eye roll as she kissed him back, but gently pushed him away before it got too deep. However, she didn't do that without a blush.

Galinda came out, pushing Nessa's chair. The blonde wore a light blue summer dress, and Nessa wore a lavender one. After exchanging compliments, a guard appeared and announced that the Wizard was waiting outside. Elphaba went into the open-top carriage with her father, while her friends and sister got in a different carriage to take a different route to the parade.

"You look beautiful," Oscar smiled when Elphaba got settled.

"Thank you. You look… positively emerald," Elphaba half-smirked, glancing at her father's dark green suit.

Oscar laughed. "Thank you." He nodded to the guard and the carriage made it's way to the parade.

"This will be my first time ever at the parade," Elphaba admitted as the rode.

"Really?"

"Yeah. This time of the summer is very busy for the Governor, since the state judges are about to return from the summer holiday and the state house has to be reopened."

"Have you ever been to any parade?"

"No. Whenever there was a parade in Munchkinland, Nessa would go, but I…" She didn't have to say the rest.

"Well, I'm honored that I get to share in your first parade."

"You're the reason for this parade."

Oscar smiled as they reached the parade route. People from all over Oz had gathered to see the parade, and the excitement in the air was very apparent. The marching band played the national anthem and the young Vinkun girl sang her heart out, hitting all the notes perfectly.

"She's amazing," Elphaba smiled as she applauded.

"You'll meet her at the party tonight."

Then the parade began. Elphaba was still not used to smiling and waving and being on display like that, but after watching her father, she quickly picked up and waved to the gathered crowds lining the streets.

"This is exhausting," Elphaba sighed as they slowly rode, barely able to keep the smile on her face. "Can we go any faster?"

"All these people came out to see us," Oscar said, smiling softly. "We're public figures. People expect us to be encouraging."

"By smiling and waving?"

"Whatever gets the job done. It also helps to keep up public opinion."

Elphaba sighed and turned to continue smiling and waving, and noticed that they were approaching her friends. Galinda waved so fast that Elphaba was sure her wrist would break. Nessa beamed at her sister, giving her a big thumbs-up, and Fiyero gave her a grandiose bow, flourishing his hand as he bent over.

Thankfully, much to Elphaba's relief, they soon reached the grand gazebo at the west edge of the city. Oscar and Elphaba were helped down from the carriage and Oscar walked up to the podium to a thunderous applause.

"My fellow Ozians," he began. "I am delighted to be amongst you all again on this, my twenty-second anniversary as your Wizard."

The crowd's cheers were practically deafening. Elphaba smiled as she sat behind and watched her father. He really was a good leader, and she had so much to learn from him.

At the conclusion of his speech, he called Elphaba up for the grand finale, which led to more cheers and applause. Elphaba smiled as she muttered an incantation under her breath, and a ball of light appeared in her hands. A few people in the front stepped back as Elphaba threw the ball into the sky, creating multicolored fireworks.

"Fireworks during the daytime?" someone asked.

"Incredible!" another exclaimed.

"I've never seen anyone perform magic like this!" a third chimed.

The fireworks display featured the flags of the four nations, along with special cultural references, and ended with a large Ozian flag that seemingly lit up the entire sky.

"That was wonderful, Nova," the Wizard grinned once she finished.

"Thank you. I'm just glad it went well, and I didn't mess up the spell for the flag."

When they got back to the palace, both Elphaba and Oscar said they wanted to rest before the party that night. When Elphaba awoke, she felt much better, better than she had felt in a while. She slowly slid off the bed and decided that she was going to get a bit of light reading done before Ashlyn and Jyvona came to help her get ready. She thought about studying the Grimmerie more, but then decided against it. She was on a break today. She had already been trying to figure out some spells behind her friends' backs, which tired her out, but she was able to hide it. The last thing she wanted was to get tired before her father's big party.

She was reading a novel for fifteen minutes before the maids arrived, and fully ready twenty minutes later.

Her gown was satin, deep blue with lacy, long sleeves, and an intricate design on the bodice. The full skirt had a layer of lace underneath and reached her ankles. Most of her dresses now had full skirts, and she realized that it would now be a vital part of her formal wardrobe. She had decided to wear her hair completely out with very soft curls, her tiara sitting perfectly on top.

"Fae?" Fiyero called as he knocked on the door.

"Come in," she called back.

The prince opened the door and slipped inside. "Hey. You look beautiful."

"Thank you."

He softly kissed her cheek. "I really enjoyed your grand finale at the parade. It wasn't pulling a rabbit out of a hat, but it was still very impressive."

"I aim to please."

"Are you ready for tonight?"

"I am. Today is about my father. I already had my party. I can enjoy not being the center of attention... as much as possible."

"As long as I can have the first dance with you."

"What makes you think I want to dance with you?"

The prince blinked in shock and pouted. "You don't wanna dance with me?"

Elphaba teasingly matched his pout before laughing. "Of course I'll save at least one dance for you, Yero."

"I want the first one."

"Beggars can't be choosers."

"I'm not begging!"

Elphaba laughed again. "I promise I'll save the first dance for you."

He quickly kissed her and offered her his arm. "Good. Shall we?"

Elphaba accepted his arm and the two walked down the stairs to the ballroom. They slipped in unannounced, mostly because Elphaba didn't want a big fuss made about her. They saw Nessa and Galinda and quickly made their way over to them.

"And now, announcing His Supreme Ozness!"

Trumpets sounded and the double doors slowly opened, revealing the Wizard, cloaked in a splendorous emerald robe and a golden crown with rubies and diamonds. Everyone genuflected as he passed them on his way to the throne.

"Elphaba," he nodded to his daughter.

"Your Ozness," she deeply curtsied.

He offered her his arm and they both walked up to the thrones and sat down. The Wizard nodded to the musicians and they resumed their selections.

"This has been a wonderful anniversary," he smiled to her, watching as everyone lined up for the first dance. "And what makes it even better is having a daughter to share it with."

Elphaba smiled at him. "I'm glad I'm sharing this with you, too."

"Your Ozness."

Both royals looked up to see Fiyero standing before them. "Prince Fiyero," Oscar smiled.

"Princess Elphaba has promised me the first dance."

Oscar glanced at his daughter, who nodded. Oscar nodded and Elphaba joined her boyfriend.

"I don't think I'll ever get used to this type of dancing," Elphaba said as they began. "It's so… old fashioned."

"You're telling me this now?" the prince chuckled. "Fae, all royals and upper-class rich people have to learn these types of old, traditional dances."

"I know. I'm not saying that I don't enjoy it."

"I think it's very romantic. For example, I can't do this…" He lifted her and spun her around, "during the songs they play at the Ozdust."

"Mmhmm. And could I do this?" She gently wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her lips against hers.

"Mmm… you could," the prince whispered against her lips. "I wouldn't stop you."

"I'm sure you wouldn't."

When the dance ended, the Fiyero practically dragged Elphaba over to the refreshments table to get a drink.

"Your Royal Highness."

Elphaba turned and Viktor bowed. "Miss Hannalyn Ambroise of the Vinkus."

"Your Royal Highness," the young girl curtsied.

"Miss Ambroise," Elphaba nodded. "You were wonderful at the parade today."

The teenager beamed. "Thank you. I was honored to be asked to sing the national anthem. But if I'm completely honest, I was very nervous."

"Well, those nerves didn't show through your performance."

The girl blushed with a soft 'Thank you' and curtsied before rejoining the dancing. Elphaba turned and saw her boyfriend holding out a glass of punch to her.

"They're about to make the grand toast," he said as she took the glass.

"Where's Nessa?"

"She went to the bathroom a minute ago."

The green girl suddenly felt a bit dizzy, though she didn't know why, so she took a sip. Almost instantly, her eyes widened and she dropped the glass.

"Fae?" the prince blinked. "What's wrong?"

Having heard the glass shatter, the guests turned their heads just as Elphaba's knees buckled beneath her and she collapsed to the floor. Fiyero's reflexes weren't fast enough to catch her, but he immediately fell to his knees, ignoring his own pain as he tried to wake her. She still had a pulse, but it took him a while to detect it. Her chest was barely rising and falling, air narrowly escaping through her slightly-parted lips.

"Elphaba!" Oscar cried, rushing to her. "Prince Fiyero, what happened?"

"I don't know, Your Ozness. I just offered her a drink and –"

"Look, the sky's turning red!" someone cried.

Everyone immediately turned to the large window and saw a large red cloud seemingly approaching the palace. It entered through the window and everyone hurried away. The prince had to pick up his girlfriend and cradle her in his arms to avoid being trampled. The red cloud expanded and filled the room. When it cleared, everyone's eyes immediately lifted to the newcomer floating above their heads, who was only familiar to one person in the room.

"Fiyero, it's _her_ ," the blonde whispered, stepping behind him.

"Her? Her who?" he whispered back.

"Ozma the Young. The last Ozma."

* * *

 **And... here we go!**


	20. The Last Ozma

**WARNING: Character death at the end of the chapter. Not saying who, but consider yourselves warned.**

* * *

"What?" Fiyero hissed. "How do you know?"

"I'll explain later. Right now, we have to get Elphie out of here," Galinda said, slowly pushing him towards the door.

"What is she doing here? I thought she was…"

"Again, I'll explain later."

"Why, this is a lovely get-together," Ozma cackled, then sobered. "However, I don't recall receiving an invitation. Perhaps it was… lost in the mail."

"Sweet Lurline!" a guest gasped.

"No. Not quite. Although, I'm surprised you all haven't recognized me immediately. I am your rightful queen, after all. But perhaps I'm better known as The Last Ozma." She turned and her gaze fell on the Wizard. "Playing dress up, are we, you common peddler? Your _wonderful_ Wizard isn't who you all think he is!"

The guards immediately surrounded the Wizard, their spears pointed at the young girl. Ozma rolled her eyes and, with a flick of her hand, sent the spears flying away, people diving to get out of their way. They all began to flee the ballroom in fear for their lives.

"Everything looks so different. I can't say I like what you've done with the old towers."

"How are you even here?" Oscar demanded. "You're dead."

"You're half right. Exactly twenty-two years ago, as I was dying, I was able to use the last of my magic to trap and preserve my spirit in a special book, the Grimmerie. A book that was found and brought to you to hide and keep safe."

"How did you escape?"

"Simple; your daughter."

Oscar scanned the room and his eyes fell on Fiyero carrying Elphaba with Galinda behind him, both slowly inching towards the door. Ozma followed his gaze and, with a growl, shot an energy ball directly at them. Elphaba was blasted from Fiyero's arms and all three young adults were sent flying against the wall.

"Leaving so soon? I wouldn't hear of it. Why, my little party's just beginning. And it's rude to leave before the party starts."

Fiyero groaned as he pushed himself up and immediately crawled over to Elphaba. It didn't feel like she broke anything, but she was still barely breathing. "Fae…"

"It was your daughter who found the Grimmerie," Ozma said, looking back at the Wizard. "She began to read the spell that would free me by exchanging her life for mine, but as the magic started, she stopped reading. It was just enough to awaken me. Since it was incomplete, and since she didn't know what she was saying, I tricked her into reading more. As she studied, she grew more powerful. I used to Grimmerie as a conduit for her magic. I drained it from her."

Things were beginning to click for the prince. "What have you done to her?"

"The exact same thing that was done to me. That foreigner destroying the thing I cherish most, my family's history and line of power, hurt more than anything. So, I decided to repay the favor by destroying the person he loves most. I invaded her mind and her dreams, I haunted her with illusions… or what would seem like illusions."

The Wizard's eyes widened. "The fire at the center…"

"Yes. She set the place ablaze. But she didn't know what she was doing. She was… in a trance of sorts, not fully awake, but not sleepwalking. I made her cast a sleeping spell on the guards and a speed spell on her horse so she could ride to Shiz under the cover of night."

"Why?"

"It destroyed her thinking she hurt those _poor, innocent_ children and Animals. It made her study the Grimmerie even harder by trying to crack the special code hidden within the pages to try to find a way to get rid of me."

"Why would she think that?"

"Because I told her. And now, I was finally able to return and reclaim what never should have been taken from me! Once I'm finished with you, I'll take back the Grimmerie and my throne!"

"You're just a child!"

"Yes, a child who was taken from this life by a selfish, power-hungry alien."

"You were abusing your power and oppressing the people. They had no choice but to rise up against you."

"There's always a choice! They just didn't make the correct one! And now, all of Oz shall feel my wrath!" Growling, she began shooting magic at the Wizard, who jumped to dodge it.

"Fiyero, get Elphie back to her room," the blonde hissed, creeping up behind him.

"What about you?" Fiyero asked.

"I'll hold her off as long as I can, but just get Elphaba out of here."

"You can't stop me!" Ozma growled as she continued to throw magic. You don't have real magic, and your offspring is… indisposed. Your guards are useless against me. What else do you have?"

Suddenly, she was struck down and fell to the ground with a loud cry. Growling, she looked up and saw the blonde glaring at her.

"Me," Galinda said, forming a pink energy ball.

"Galinda…" Oscar gasped.

The teenager quickly pushed herself to her feet and turned her full attention to her attacker. "You fool! You think you can beat me with your simple magic tricks?"

"There's only one way to find out," Galinda said, firing magic at her.

Fiyero gently laid Elphaba in the bed and clutched her hand. Her skin was still paling, and her chest was barely moving. If he was going to try to save her, he didn't have a lot of time.

"My Fae," he whispered, a single tear sliding down his cheek as he kissed her hand.

A clock tick later, a mist of pink appeared in the corner. Fiyero immediately prepared to fight to protect himself and Elphaba, but then Galinda appeared, stumbling forward, catching herself on the edge of the bed.

"What happened?" the prince questioned.

"The Wizard escaped and I used a teleportation spell. Now that I think about it, this is the first time I've performed it successfully. But that's not important right now. We need to find the Grimmerie before Ozma finds us." She bolted to the closet, but panicked when it wasn't there. She muttered a spell under her breath and a floorboard on the other side of the room began to glow. She pried it off and pulled out the book.

"Why is it there?"

"Elphie was secretly reading the Grimmerie behind our backs. Or at least, she _thought_ she was, but I know her too well." She began quickly flipping through the pages, most of which now had scraps of paper taped to them. "She began translating the spells… or at least what it's called and what it does. I was also reading it, too, using her notes to try and make sense of it."

"In the throne room… how did you know that was Ozma?"

"I found the hidden room where Elphaba saw the painting. It's very creepy down there. I don't recommend going alone."

"What are you looking for?"

"The only spell I think will help us."

Fiyero glanced over her shoulder at the spells and Elphaba's notes. "Of apples with black skin and white flesh: to fill the stomach with greed unto death," he read. "What does that mean?"

"I don't know, and I don't want to find out." She kept flipping through the pages, praying the green girl already noted the spell she was looking for. She turned one more page and stopped with a triumph smile. "Here!"

"What will that spell do?"

"It will give Elphaba enough life and power to defeat Ozma. It's a modification spell."

"A modification of which spell?"

Galinda bit her lip. "The life for life spell."

Fiyero's eyes widened. "Galinda, no!"

"I have to, Fiyero. I won't _die_. I'll just be significantly physically weaker and magic-less, and judging by the state Elphie's in, probably unconscious. And because of that, _she'll_ have to reverse the spell."

"But if she… if Ozma…"

"That won't happen because Elphie is strong. I trust her. I believe in her. I'm not as powerful as her, but I have enough to help. She's the only one who can stop her."

Fiyero knew that arguing was pointless and would waste time, so he simply gave her a chaste kiss on the cheek. "I'll protect her."

"I know you will."

Galinda opened her mouth to start the spell, but before she could utter a sound, the door burst open and Ozma entered. "Thought you were clever with that little spell, didn't you, you blonde airhead?"

"I'm not scared of a petulant child," Galinda snapped back.

"You have no reason to fear a child, but you should have every reason to fear your queen!"

"You're not our queen!" And with that Galinda cast a protection bubble around herself, Fiyero, and Elphaba.

"There's no use trying to save her. As she grows weaker, I grow stronger. And I can feel myself getting stronger by the clock-tick." She blasted the bubble with her magic, trying to break it.

The blonde began to recite the spell. As she chanted, Fiyero could see her growing weaker and weaker until she was barely conscious. Elphaba then sat up with a loud gasp. She looked around and immediately ran to her friend. "Glin, what's going on?"

"Elphie…" Galinda said, her voice barely louder than a whisper as the bubble began to fade. "End… her," was the last thing she whispered before slipping into unconsciousness, the bubble disintegrating.

"She's not dead," Fiyero said quickly when he saw his girlfriend's face. "I'll explain everything later. But now, you need to find a spell to stop Ozma." He handed her the book.

"We don't have to fight, Elphaba," Ozma said calmly. "You can just give me the Grimmerie and this will all be over."

Elphaba scowled. "No."

"Alright. Then you'll just have to make a choice."

"What choice?"

Ozma snapped her fingers and they were transported to a cliff over a lake of fire. Galinda and Fiyero were in separate cages floating above the flames. Galinda was still unconscious, but Fiyero was wide-awake, looking like a scared baby deer. "A choice between the Grimmerie and your friends."

Elphaba's eyes widened. "It's… this is just an illusion. It's not real!"

"Is it? Is that a risk you're willing to take? A risk _worth_ taking?"

The cages dropped and Fiyero screamed, but they stopped before it reached the lake.

"Tick-tock, tick-tock, you're losing this race against the clock," Ozma sing-songed. "Make your choice, Elphaba!"

Elphaba looked from the Grimmerie to her friends.

"Are they not enough for you? Very well." She snapped her fingers again and Oscar and Nessarose appeared in separate cages. "Better?"

"Fabala!" Nessa shouted once she saw her sister, clearly having no idea what was going on. She didn't have her chair, so she had to hold herself up with her arms.

"Elphaba, don't give it to her!" Oscar shouted.

"I just want what was already mine, what never should have been taken away from me in the first place," Ozma frowned. Growling, she hit Elphaba in the chest with a strong magic blast.

"Fae!" Fiyero screamed as he watched her thrown back and land flat on her spine, the book sliding right before Ozma's feet.

"Finally!" she laughed, grabbing the book as it began to glow.

Elphaba pushed herself up, her breathing hard and labored. She was a bit wobbly on her feet, and a sharp pain shot through her lower back.

"Oh, right," Ozma remembered, glancing at the cages. "Your friends." She waved her hand and the cages plummeted towards the fire.

Elphaba quickly reacted and stopped the cages before the hit the fire. She lifted them up and brought them safely on the cliff. "Are you alright?" she asked, disintegrating the cages and going to her sister first.

Nessa clung to her sister, squeezing her as hard as she could as she cried. The green girl quickly returned the hug. Elphaba quickly returned the hug, rubbing circles on her back.

"We're fine," Fiyero said, placing an arm around his girlfriend.

Elphaba gently pulled away and glanced over at her father, who was kneeling beside the blonde. There were tears in his eyes. He looked up at Elphaba and simply shook his head.

"No," Elphaba whispered, crawling over. She felt for a pulse, praying that it was still there, no matter how faint. Nothing. Her chest didn't move and she was slowly starting to lose her body heat. "No! Galinda! GALINDA!"

"The spell she used was modified, not completely changed. The original life-for-life spell was between Elphaba and me, and when Miss Galinda helped her, it became between her and me. The spell is complete and I am back to life, and Miss Galinda has lost hers. That's the way it works. She made her choice, and now you have to live with the consequences. Pity," Ozma said, then disappeared, no longer caring about them now that she had the Grimmerie.

"Galinda, wake up! _WAKE UP!"_ the green girl begged, shaking her friend's arm. "Fiyero, what did she do?!"

"She used… a modification of the… life for life spell to… help you defeat Ozma," Fiyero said, kneeling next to her. He tried to hug her, but she pulled away.

"There's a way to bring her back, right?" Nessa asked as Oscar helped her over to the group.

"Magic reaches its limitations with life and death," Elphaba said coldly. "Once a person has died, that's it."

"But Ozma…"

"Was never fully dead. She used her magic to preserve herself." She pushed herself to her feet, slapping away Fiyero's helping hand.

Oscar blinked at her. "Nova, what are you –"

"I'm going after her."

"Fae, you can't," Fiyero said, taking her hands.

"I can and I will. I'm the only one who can stop her! I'm going to take her down and then find some way to destroy the Grimmerie."

"You need rest," Fiyero said as Elphaba pulled away. "We all do. We've been through a lot just now and this…"

"We can't return to the palace. Not with Ozma there," Oscar said.

Elphaba closed her eyes. "I'll send Nessa back to Munchkinland and –"

"No. I'm not leaving you," the brunette said firmly.

"I won't put you in harm's way again, Nessarose."

Nessa bit her lip. Elphaba slowly opened her eyes and knelt next to her, pulling her into her arms. "Fabala…"

"I love you, Nessie. I don't want anything else to happen to you. I'm going to make sure you're all safe and then I'm going to finish what I started."

"We'll all go to my castle in the Vinkus. We'll be safe there and my parents will help us come up with a plan," Fiyero said firmly.

Elphaba looked from him to Galinda. "And… Glin?"

"I'll get a message to her family in the Gillikin," Oscar said gently.

The green girl nodded solemnly and muttered a spell, transporting them from the cliff to the Vinkus.


	21. Grief

Fiyero slowly opened the door to the library and looked around. He walked over to the corner he found himself occupying with his girlfriend for the past three days. As usual, he found her already there and prepared himself for the repetitive argument they were about to have. She was currently pouring over a tower of spell books they had pulled from the shelves. He sat down next to her and took a deep breath.

"You need to eat."

She didn't look up. "No."

"You didn't eat breakfast this morning… or dinner last night."

"I'm not hungry."

"Fae, we've been having this argument every day."

She didn't respond.

"Galinda wouldn't want you to –"

"You don't know what Galinda would have wanted! You only dated her for two weeks before breaking up with her!"

Fiyero bit his lip. "I didn't break up with her. She broke up with me."

"Do you have a purpose here other than to distract and annoy me?"

"Yes. To get you to take a break."

"I don't want a break, so go away."

"Fae."

"Go away, Fiyero!"

The prince sighed and moved to kiss her cheek. The green girl pulled away with a frown, not looking up from the book. He had no other choice than to leave.

"How is she?" Amalie asked as her son came into the throne room where she was with her husband and the Wizard.

"She didn't blast me against the wall this time," the prince said with a slight shrug. "She won't eat, though. At least, not until she finds a spell something that will stop Ozma."

"I'll try talking to her," Oscar said as he stood. "She should at least eat something before she makes herself sick."

"She's grieving," Raal said. "Regardless of how unhealthy it is, this might be her way of getting through it."

"Is Galinda's family…"

"I received their message today. They'll arrive tomorrow and take her home."

"Where's Nessa?" Fiyero asked.

"She's was in the gardens with the twins, the last I checked," Amalie said.

Fiyero nodded and went to check on the younger Thropp, who was indeed in the garden, watching as Azar and Timunah showed her their best gymnastic tricks.

"Whoa!" Fiyero jumped when Azar almost kicked him in the face. "Watch where you kick!"

"It's not my fault your face was where my foot was headed," Azar said, but sobered when his older brother's face told him he wasn't in the mood for jokes.

"Is Elphaba alright?" Timunah asked.

"She's fine," Fiyero lied, then glanced over her shoulder at Nessa. She was sitting in an old wheelchair that his grandfather used during the later years of his life, since Elphaba was too preoccupied to try and conjure her old chair back. It wasn't as comfortable as hers, but it still got her around. "She's still working on finding a spell, though. Could you two give me a moment with Nessa?"

The two teenagers nodded and hurried back inside.

"How is she really, Fiyero?" Nessa asked as the prince sat on the bench next to her.

"Honestly, not that great. She still refuses to eat and practically hides in the library all day. She's probably not sleeping, either. I don't think she's even allowed herself to cry."

"She blames herself."

"She never said –"

"She doesn't have to. I know what it looks like. She blames herself for our mother's death and my condition, and even though she never said it out loud, I can see it in her eyes."

"There has to be something we can do to help."

"Maybe I should go talk to her."

"If you're confident she won't send you flying across the room."

"I'll take my chances."

Fiyero smiled and pushed Nessa back inside and helped her up to the library with a passing servant.

Elphaba looked up at the sound of wheels approaching her and frowned. "If you brought my sister here to try to –"

"I didn't," Fiyero said, holding up his arms. "I was just the assistant. I'm leaving now."

"Fabala," Nessa began as soon as the prince left. "Can we talk?"

"I'm very busy right now, Nessa."

"Then just listen. I know you're upset; I know you're _more_ than upset, but this… this isn't going to solve anything. You starving and depriving yourself of sleep isn't going to bring Galinda back."

Elphaba glared at her and the brunette knew she had to choose her next set of words _very_ carefully.

"I know your sole focus is trying to defeat Ozma, but you need a break. You need fresh air and food in your stomach. You need a nap."

Elphaba was silent for a moment, and it worried Nessa that she couldn't tell what her sister was thinking. At least, until she said, "You should be back at your job in Munchkinland."

"I wrote to both Father and my boss, explaining everything. You need me more than they do right now."

"I need to find a –"

"You need to eat and rest! Please, Fabala."

"Every day that Ozma is in the Emerald City is a day innocent people are being terrorized and we have to remain here to stop her from killing the rest of us."

"I promise you'll feel so much better after some food and a nap."

"I doubt it."

" _Elphaba_."

"Fine," Elphaba huffed, closing the book. "If it will get you all off my back."

Nessa gave her a soft smile. Her sister stepped behind her chair and helped her back down, carrying her and using her magic to levitate the chair down the stairs.

"I suppose you want your old chair back, don't you?" the green girl said once Nessa was situated on the ground floor. "I'm sorry."

"I'm fine, Fabala."

Elphaba shook her head and chanted a simple spell. The old chair was replaced with Nessa's original one, much to the brunette's pleasure.

"Thank you."

"It's the least I can do. Where is everyone?"

"Fiyero's parents are in the throne room with your father. I don't know where Fiyero went."

Elphaba nodded and went into the throne room. The three adults were surprised to see her, but quickly hid their surprise behind warm smiles.

"Hi," the green girl said with a small wave.

"Hi, Elphaba," the queen smiled. "Are you feeling better?"

"Not really, but I'm… hungry."

"Lunch is almost ready."

Elphaba nodded. "What's happening in the Emerald City?"

"Ozma has fully taken over Oz," Oscar said. "The past few days, she managed to spend most of the money in the treasury, raise taxes, and outlaw all magic except her own. She also created many new laws and anyone not obeying her will be put to death without trial. But there are still many people still loyal to me, to _us_."

"And… Galinda's parents?"

"They'll be here tomorrow to take her home."

"Where is she?"

"She's in the North room, down the right hall from the main staircase. The last door on the left."

Elphaba worked her jaw. "Alright."

Oscar sighed. "Nova, if you want to talk –"

"I don't!" Elphaba said quickly, then took a deep breath. "I just… wanted to know."

"Excuse me, Your Majesties, but lunch is now ready," a servant announced.

"Thank you," Raal nodded and they all made their way to the dining room.

"May I sit next to you?" Fiyero asked, appearing beside Elphaba.

Elphaba turned and nodded, slipping her hand into her boyfriend's. Fiyero smiled as he pulled the chair out for his girlfriend, who sat down with a muttered, "Thanks". The meal was relatively silent, save for a few comments back and forth, but Elphaba just focused on her food. She didn't realize how hungry she was until she asked for seconds.

"May I be excused, please?" she asked when she finished.

"Of course, dear," Amalie nodded, watching her carefully.

Everyone's gazes drifted to the green girl as she stood and left. Fiyero debated following her, but figured he shouldn't push her. He just hoped she wouldn't go back to hiding in the library.

Elphaba quickly ascended the staircase and turned right and walked down the hall. The last door on the left was slightly ajar and she took a deep breath before fully opening it. She hadn't seen her best friend since she died the previous week. She hadn't even been near the room. She felt slightly out of place entering, but got up the courage to approach her friend.

Amalie and Raal had decided to start the embalming process for the Uplands to preserve her body. Currently, she wore a simple light blue dress with a flower on the front. Elphaba had no idea where the dress came from, but figured it was either Amalie's or Timunah's. Her hair was curled and neatly pulled back into a low, loose ponytail.

She pulled up a chair and sat down next to her. "Hey, Glin," she said, gently taking on of her hands. "I'm sorry I've been away. I'm sorry we… I just… I'm sorry. I can't apologize to you enough. Everything I… you… I… you shouldn't have done that! Why would you cast that life-for-life spell on us, no matter how modified? Did you know what would have happened?"

"I don't think she did."

Elphaba jumped at the voice, but relaxed, seeing Fiyero. He came into the room and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"She told me she wouldn't die. Either she didn't know, or she knew you would save her before the original spell was complete."

"That doesn't make this any better. She trusted in me and I let her down."

"You didn't let her down."

"I'm going to confront Ozma again and this time, she's going to pay."

The prince thought it wise not to anger his girlfriend over the body of her best friend. "She thought she wasn't powerful enough to take on Ozma, at least, not on her own. But she held her off so I could get you back up to your room. She then teleported up to us."

"She finally got the teleportation spell right?"

"From what she told me, it was her first time."

Elphaba chuckled softly. "It was. She could never get it right in Morrible's seminar."

"You helped her get into that seminar."

"I just told Morrible that I would drop out if she didn't include her. I wanted to do something nice for her after she set Nessa up with Boq." Elphaba paused for a moment before adding, "That cursed training wand!"

Fiyero snickered. "Was it really that bad?"

"She once turned my uniform into a frilly, pink, party dress, curled my hair, and tied it back into pigtails with pink ribbons, claiming I looked like a princess."

"Was this before or after your big decision?"

"Around a week later, I think. And I don't know how she could do _that_ , but couldn't change the color of an apple."

Fiyero laughed and Elphaba grinned.

"I threatened to outlaw pink because of that incident."

"She didn't take that too well, I imagine."

"It was her own fault," Elphaba laughed, then immediately stopped. "I shouldn't be doing this."

"Doing what?"

"Laughing. Galinda's body is right in front of me and I'm laughing. I'm so ashamed!"

"You shouldn't be," Fiyero said, gripping her shoulders and making her look at him. "You were remembering the good times you had. You were remembering how you made each other laugh and what good friends you were. It's good. It's healthy. It's coping."

"I…" She paused. "I never got a chance to say goodbye. To say thank you for being my friend; my very first friend ever."

"You can now."

"She can't hear me."

"How do you know?"

"She's dead, Fiyero."

"That doesn't mean her spirit is gone."

Elphaba's face turned thoughtful. "You don't think she had a safety plan and decided to preserve her spirit in a book?"

He honestly didn't know how serious she was. "She believed in you. She knew that you could stop Ozma, and Fae, it's not too late."

Elphaba looked down at her friend.

"She told me she knew you were reading the Grimmerie behind our backs. She was reading it too, using your notes to try to learn the language and help you. She also found the painting of Ozma in that secret room."

"Oh, Glin…" Elphaba whispered, a lump forming in her throat as tears welled in her eyes.

Fiyero quickly collected her into his arms just before she started sobbing. "It's alright, my Fae. Let it out. It's okay."

It was the first time Elphaba allowed her emotions to take over and release. She clung to Fiyero, whose strong arms seemingly protected her.

"I loved her," she whispered once the strong wave passed, her voice hoarse.

"And I know she loved you, too." He kissed her hair.

"She loved you, too, Yero. Even after you broke up, she still loved you."

"What can I say? I'm a very lovable guy."

She gave him a look.

"I'm serious. Once you love me, it's impossible to stop."

Elphaba rolled her eyes and gave her friend's hand one more squeeze. "I'll succeed, Glin. I'll figure out a way. I promise. For you."

* * *

 **Yes, a sad chapter, but I did include some Fiyeraba! And we haven't seen the last of Galinda.**


	22. A Backup Plan

From that day until Galinda's funeral on Friday, Elphaba spent most of her time studying the magic books, but not to the same dangerous extent as before. She moved her studying to her bedroom and began to eat and nap more regularly. She didn't meet Galinda's parents when they arrived, having been in the middle of a nap and no one came to wake her.

The day of the funeral was mostly a blur for Elphaba. She remembered the long ride from the Vinkus to the Gillikin, the stares that accompanied her when she entered the church with Fiyero and Nessa, and finally meeting the blonde's parents.

At first, she had been terrified, fearing that they would hate her. They had every reason to, and she wouldn't blame them. But when she reached the front row, she didn't even have to introduce herself.

"Your Royal Highness," they immediately genuflected.

"Elphaba," the green girl corrected softly. She immediately saw the features Galinda shared with her parents, from her mother's curly golden hair to her father's blue eyes. "I can't apologize to you enough for what happened. It's my fault. I couldn't save her. I –"

"Elphaba," Mrs. Upland gently interrupted. "Galinda frequently wrote to us about you. Even though you two loathed each other at first, from what I understand, you quickly became best friends. Practically all her letters were filled with very detailed stories of what you two did in the Emerald City or in your sorcery seminar. We owe you a thank you for helping her get in. It meant so much to her."

"It started our friendship," Elphaba smiled.

"She wanted to stay by your side and support you when you decided to be the heir of Oz," Mr. Upland said. "She planned to be your Magic Grand Vizier and the godmother to your children."

She glanced over at the casket. "That sounds like something she would do."

"Galinda's always had so many friends, but you were definitely her closest friend. She would have done anything for you. She was a very smart girl, no matter how much she used to try and hide it. She understood every possible outcome of her actions."

"And she also mentioned something about advising you not to outlaw her most flattering color. I never understood that," Mrs. Upland said.

"It's a joke we shared. Galinda… she… definitely changed me for good. And I'll always be grateful for her friendship. I don't know what I would have done without her helping me through my 'princess lessons'." She smiled at them before excusing herself and moving over to the casket, allowing Fiyero and Nessa to talk to them.

She didn't remember much of the actual service. She remembered getting up to say a few words, but couldn't recall exactly what she said. She just remembered not being able to finish and Fiyero had to escort her back to her seat.

She felt numb watching Galinda's body lowered into the ground. Fiyero's arms wrapped around her waist, practically keeping her upright.

"Goodbye, Glin," she whispered as the casket began to disappear beneath the dirt, and the Uplands approached her.

"Thank you for coming, Elphaba," Mr. Upland said.

"We just want to tell you that… we don't blame you," Mrs. Upland said, taking her hand. "We always taught Galinda to stand up for what's right and to not be afraid of anything. Of course, we didn't think she would…" She took a shaky breath. "You didn't ask her to do that. She did it on her own accord. And there's still the hope that you'll…"

"I will," Elphaba nodded. "I promised myself… and her."

They nodded and went to speak to the last of the guests.

"I'm going to say goodbye to Nessa. She's going back to Munchkinland with Boq," Elphaba said.

Fiyero gave her a kiss and watched as she went over to her sister. He couldn't hear what they were saying, but judging from their faces, Nessa was trying to figure out if them separating would be a good idea. Ultimately, Elphaba won and the two sisters shared a long hug before parting.

She got back in the carriage with Fiyero and they started their journey back to the Vinkus. "How are you feeling?" he asked as they started on their way.

Elphaba shrugged and leaned her head against his shoulder.

"Are you hungry? I have some fruit in my bag."

"No, thanks."

The prince gently pulled her closer and held her tight. Elphaba felt his chest shake and looked up to see tears falling from his eyes. She gently pushed herself up, wiping the tears from his eyes before wrapping him in her arms. And that's how the couple spent the rest of the ride back.

When they returned, the twins were putting together a puzzle in the parlor. Fiyero immediately inquired about the whereabouts of their parents.

"They're in the throne room," Azar said, handing a puzzle piece to his sister.

"I think I'll just go upstairs," Elphaba said as she turned and made her way upstairs.

Fiyero watched her go and went to the throne room. He told his parents and the Wizard about Galinda's funeral and about their ride back.

"Where's Elphaba?" Oscar asked.

"She went upstairs. I think to her room. I _hope_ to lay down and rest."

He didn't see her for the rest of the evening. When she didn't come down to dinner, he went in search for her. She was in her room, fast asleep, though she had clearly cried herself to sleep. He slowly and quietly closed the door and went back downstairs, making sure to save a plate to bring to her later.

Elphaba stayed in her room for the next two days. Fiyero was extremely worried, especially since she had magically locked her door, preventing everyone from entering. Both he and the Wizard had tried numerous attempts to talk her out, but to no avail.

But on the third day, a hot Monday morning, she rushed into the parlor and exclaimed triumphantly, "I've got it!"

Fiyero, who was reading on the sofa, jumped. "What?"

"I've got it!" She hurried over to him and pressed her lips against his, knocking the book aside.

"That's great, Fae," he smiled when they pulled away. "Um… what have you got?"

"I have a way to beat Ozma and restore my father to power."

"What is it?"

"I have to write my own spell."

The prince blinked at her, a million questions running through his mind. "Is that even possible?"

"The spells in existence now had to be written by someone. I just have to write one that will destroy Ozma."

"How will you do that?"

"I could either combine existing spells or start from scratch. I don't know enough spell words to do that, though, so also combining old spells into a new one would be my best bet." She sighed. "It will take a lot of time, and the spell will require a lot of energy to cast. So if I do this, I'll only have one shot to get it right. I already had a chance to stop her… and look how that ended."

"But you'll succeed this time, Fae," Fiyero said, lifting her face to meet his gaze. "I know you will."

"And I know you know I will," Elphaba smiled, causing both of them to laugh. "I'm going to the throne room."

The three adults had been wary of her idea at first, and her explanations didn't make them any less wary.

"It's too risky and dangerous," Oscar had said in a very over-protective fatherly way.

"We're already in a risky and dangerous situation. This is the only way it might solve everything. I'll get started right away. We've wasted enough time."

She quickly left before they could argue more. As soon as she reached her room, she gathered a pad, pencil, and some Vinkun spellbooks that were older, if not more powerful, than the Grimmerie, and got to work.

A few hours later, Fiyero knocked on her door with a tray of food and a glass of juice.

"Yes?" came a half-distracted response and he let himself in.

"I don't suppose I would get much success trying to get you to take a food break," he said hopefully.

Elphaba glanced up. "Okay."

Fiyero blinked in surprised, having prepared to argue about how working without eating was very counterproductive.

"I'm actually a bit hungry. Practicing spells uses up a lot of energy and works up an appetite."

"You've been practicing?"

"I'm trying to translate most of these spells and see what they do. Translating them is the hardest part, since the words mix languages."

The prince set the tray down on the table and took one of the books. "I recognize some of these words as old Vinkun. The others I'm assuming are the spell words." He tore a piece of paper from her pad and one of her pencils and the book and laid on his stomach facing her.

"What are you doing?" she blinked.

"I'm helping you. Don't worry, I won't say any of these words out loud, even though I don't have any magic, but just in case the words themselves are the magic and not… I'm gonna stop rambling and just write."

Elphaba watched as her boyfriend went to work translating the words he recognized. She wiped a stray tear from her eyes and quickly closed the small distance between them.

"Fae!" he pouted when she kissed him. "I'm trying to work!"

"I'm sorry. I just… I love you."

He pushed himself up onto his elbows. "How much?"

"So much."

"How much 'so much'?"

She rolled her eyes.

"Enough to…" He thought for a moment, then quickly pulled her against him so they were both lying on the bed, facing each other. "Enough to name the next constellation you discover after me?"

"I already saw on shaped like a turtle that I don't think has a name yet."

"You think you're funny, don't you?"

"Hilarious," She kissed him. "But I love you so much."

He relaxed. "I love you so much, too."

* * *

With Fiyero's help, Elphaba finished translating the spells much quicker than she thought. He had proved to be a very productive assistant, even though he required lots of cuddle-and-kiss breaks. After a week of combining spells and rewriting fragments, Elphaba triumphantly declared its completion.

"I've done it! I've finally done it," she exclaimed, rushing into the parlor, where everyone seemed to have gathered.

"Okay, so what's the plan?" Azar asked, rubbing his hands together. "When do we storm the palace and defeat that evil witch?"

" _We_?" Amalie repeated, raising an eyebrow at her son. "You're staying here."

"That's right," Timunah smirked at her brother. "Us ladies will save the world! Right, Elphaba?"

"You won't be going either," Raal said. "It's far too dangerous for you two."

"But we wanna help!"

"I'll go back to the Emerald City tomorrow," Elphaba said, interrupting their little argument. "I'll confront Ozma and do the spell."

"What does the spell do?" Oscar asked.

"It will make sure she can't do any more damage to anyone."

"It will… kill her?"

Elphaba's face darkened. "Hopefully."

"And what will we be doing?" Fiyero asked.

"Staying here. I can't have Ozma hurting any of you."

"Elphaba, we can't just stay here and do nothing while you put your life on the line!" Oscar protested.

"And I can't keep putting _your_ lives in danger!"

"Ozma could still zap us to wherever you are like last time," Fiyero pointed out.

"That was because she knew you were all in the palace. You can't just summon someone without knowing where they are. She doesn't know that Nessa's back in Munchkinland, nor that we're here."

Oscar shook his head. "Elphaba –"

"I have to do this alone. It's the only way."

"It's not the only way, Fae. We're telling you we want to help," Fiyero pleaded.

"And I'm telling you that you can't."

"Fae –"

"I have to go get ready," she said as she quickly left the room before more people could argue or try to talk her out of it.

"She's so stubborn," Azar huffed, crossing his arms.

Fiyero sank into the armchair. "You don't know the half of it."

"She's really gonna go alone?" Timunah asked.

"Timunah, Azar, why don't you go outside for a bit?" Raal asked, though it didn't sound like a question.

The twins didn't look happy, but obeyed their father and left.

"She's not going to go alone," the king said.

"No, she won't," Oscar added. "Because we're going to have a secret backup plan."

"We are?" Fiyero chirped from his seat.

Raal bit his lip. "Fiyero –"

"She's my girlfriend, Dad," the prince said. "I can't lose her. And I'm determined to do whatever it takes not to lose her."

"And we want to do whatever it takes not to lose you, Yero. Having to bury your own child is the saddest thing in the world," Amalie said.

"You won't have to worry about that. But I'm not staying here."

"We're all going to be safe," Oscar said confidently. "Now, here's what I'm thinking…"

* * *

 **What's Oscar thinking? Do you think his plan is going to work? Two more chapters!**


	23. Defeating Illusions

Elphaba quickly made her way through the Emerald City streets, her cloak up to avoid reorganization, even though it was still dark. She had made record time on an old broomstick she enchanted with levitation spell she memorized from The Grimmerie. It was weird when she first thought of it, but it was the quickest, most reliable form of transportation, especially if she had to make a quick escape.

The spell she wrote was safely tucked away in her memory, ready to be used at a moment's notice. The only thing about the spell was that it had to be said when she and Ozma are in contact. She still hadn't figured out how she was going to get close enough to Ozma to touch her, much less keep a hold on her while she chanted. She only had one chance to get this right, and she couldn't afford to let the opportunity go to waste.

Everything was visibly bleaker than she remembered. Only two and a half weeks had elapsed since they left, (or since they were practically banished), and it looked like two years worth of destructive chaos had transpired. The palace loomed over the city like a terrifying fortress, instead of the magnificent splendor it used to be. The first thing she noticed was the increased number of guards surrounding the gate and front doors. She muttered a concealing spell and disappeared from common sight. She only had thirty seconds before the spell wore off, so she mounted her broom and flew to the roof and slipped through the attic window that was always left ajar.

She was inside for only a few seconds before the spell wore off. She quietly made her way down the stairs and through the halls, effectively avoiding guards on patrol. She had to find Ozma as quickly as possible and do the spell to avoid a fight. She soon found herself in the throne room and slowly walked in, looking around.

The two thrones that used to belong to her and her father were replaced with one, large throne made of pure diamonds. Her father's large head machine was nowhere to be found, probably hidden or destroyed.

"I knew you'd be back."

Elphaba whipped around and saw Ozma coming into the room, still wearing her nightgown. With a flick of her wrist, the doors closed and magically locked. "You didn't think I'd stay in hiding, did you?" she blinked, immediately getting ready to defend herself.

"No. I just didn't think it would take you this long. And did you really think you could sneak in through the attic window undetected?"

"You surrounded the palace with motion detecting magic?"

"I had to, in case someone decided to get sneaky."

"I didn't come back here to talk."

"I know. You came to try and defeat me, just like your common, peddler father. But the only problem is he _almost_ succeeded. _You_ won't get that far." A split second later, she hurled a blast at Elphaba, who was barely able to dodge it. She continued to barely dodge the magic, barely able to catch her breath, much less recite the spell.

"This is getting exhausting," Ozma said, though she didn't look tired. "This will all be over much quicker if you just hold still."

"I could say the same for you," the green girl breathed, pushing herself to her feet.

"And what do you think you'd do?" She clenched her fist and Elphaba sank to her knees with a gasp. "One person tried before, and failed… twice, now. And besides, what will you accomplish by stopping me? After all, it won't bring Galinda back."

"Don't say her name!" Elphaba hissed through the pain. "Don't you dare! It's _you_ who should be dead, not her!"

"There are lots of things I dare to do. And _that_ wasn't the most fulfilling of them. Killing you, however, will definitely make the top of the list. And once you're gone, no one will dare to try and dethrone me again. You will be an example to all who think they have more power than the great Ozma line!"

She scrunched her fist, tightening her hold on the green girl. Elphaba could feel her body slowly shutting down, her life slowly slipping away. As a weak breath escaped her lips, she fell forward and everything went black.

 _"Elphie."_

 _Elphaba's eyes shot open, but she immediately closed them as bright light flooded in. She felt a hand slip into hers and she slowly opened her eyes again. "G-Galinda?"_

 _"Hi."_

 _"Are you… an illusion?"_

 _"No. I'm really here. And so are you."_

 _"You're… but does that mean… am I…"_

 _"Dead? No. You're just in limbo. I haven't really mastered the whole 'visiting people in their dreams' thing yet, but this is much easier," she said with a slight giggle._

 _"I'm so sorry," Elphaba said, tears filling her eyes. "This is all my fault. I couldn't –"_

 _"Elphie, stop," the blonde said, holding up her hand. "We don't have a lot of time. The longer you spend here, the more likely you are not to wake up. I'm going to help you."_

 _"Help me? How?"_

 _"Even in death, I still have a bit of magic. Not as much as before, and not nearly as much as you, but enough to give you a little boost."_

 _"If you do that… it's not going to… hurt you in any way, will it?"_

 _"Honestly, I don't know."_

 _"Then no. Don't do it."_

 _"Elphie –"_

 _"No! I will not risk having your spirit obliterated into the unknown! I'm already responsible for your death! Don't make me responsible for your second death!"_

 _"I just wanted to help you."_

 _"And that's what got you killed in the first place!"_

 _"You would have died, Elphaba."_

 _"And my death would have been worse to bear than yours?"_

 _"You're the princess of Oz."_

 _"And you're my best friend! Sorry,_ were _my best friend."_

 _Galinda was silent as Elphaba turned away. She didn't want to argue with her best friend. She wanted her to leave before she fully joined her. "If you won't let me magically help, may I give you some advice?"_

 _Elphaba calmed and glanced at her friend before nodding._

 _"Remember these words: nulla potentia amplius. And don't say them unless you feel there's no other way but the other way."_

 _"What does that even mean?"_

 _"You'll find out in a bit." She wrapped her arms around her friend as she began to fade away. "I love you, Elphie."_

 _Elphaba quickly returned the hug. "I love you, too, Galinda."_

Elphaba inhaled sharply as she opened her eyes. She painfully rolled onto her side with a cough. Her eyes scanned the room for Ozma and found her standing on her throne. She didn't waste another second and pushed herself to her feet. She muttered a quick spell Ozma wasn't prepared for and she momentarily lost control of her limbs and fell to the ground with a loud cry. Elphaba quickly lunged at her and pinned her to the ground, restraining her arms behind her back. She placed her hand on Ozma's forehead and the other on her heart and began chanting her spell.

"You wouldn't kill me, a poor little girl, would you, Elphaba?" Ozma asked softly and innocently as she struggled against the green girl's hold.

Elphaba didn't stop chanting. She wasn't going to let anything break her concentration.

"You don't have it in you. You don't want the heart of a murderer. You're too good. Too pure. Too loving. You've been bent of defeating me for the start, but now that you have the opportunity, is it in you? Is this what you really want?"

As much as she didn't want to admit it, Ozma was right. She didn't want to have another life ended because of her, but this had to be done. It was the only way.

She was halfway done with the spell when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She paused briefly and looked up to see her friend. "No! You will not use an illusion of Galinda against me to save yourself! You have no right!" she cried, pressing harder against Ozma.

 _"Elphie…" Galinda whispered. "Remember what I said."_

"No! No! It's all a trick! You're creeping into my head again, but I won't allow it to stop me!"

 _"Ut destrueret," the blonde added calmly. "Remember; sometimes there's no other way but the other way."_

It was then that it all clicked for the green girl. She turned around, but no one was there. She looked back down at Ozma, who looked back at her with wide, scared, and seemingly pleading eyes.

"This ends now," Elphaba said, then continued chanting, ending with, "Nulla potentia amplius ut destrueret."

A blinding light filled the room as magic swirled around the two girls. When it died, Elphaba stumbled back, completely exhausted. She weakly pushed herself up and wobbled to her full height, but crashed back down, too weak to stand.

Ozma coughed and slowly opened her eyes. "I knew you didn't have the courage to do it!" She tried to form a magic ball, but nothing happened. "What…" She tried again with the same result. "What have you done to me?!"

"Nulla potentia amplius ut destrueret. No more magic for the powerless wicked."

"You took away my magic!"

Elphaba finally pushed herself to her feet. "Yes. You were right. I couldn't kill you. That didn't work the first time, and it would be a shame to make the same mistake twice. This was the only other way." She lifted the magic locking the door. "Guards!" The door burst open, but the command she had planned died in her throat. "What in Oz's name…"

Before her stood her father and boyfriend, both wearing official guard uniforms.

"Fae!" Fiyero exclaimed, rushing to his girlfriend, sweeping her off her feet and spinning her around. "Thank Oz you're alive!"

"And… you're here! What are you… how are you here?"

"As soon as Fiyero realized you were gone, we left," Oscar explained. "We had a plan in case you needed help."

"And the uniforms?"

"Fiyero's idea."

"We had to sneak in somehow. And my parents are waiting for us in the carriage." His gaze immediately drifted to Ozma and he jumped back. "She's still alive!?"

"Relax, Yero. She's not going to hurt you."

"So you took away her ability to see, hear, talk, think –"

"No, Yero. I took away her magic."

"That works, too."

"How did you do that? What that your original plan?" Oscar asked.

"No, but I had a little help," Elphaba smiled softly. "I'll explain everything later." She tried to walk, but wobbled, and Fiyero caught her before she fell.

"Are you hurt?" he asked.

"Not really. Mostly just exhausted." She waved her hand and gold chains wrapped around Ozma's wrist and ankles "Guards!"

This time, three real guards entered. They clearly didn't know who called, nor whom they had to answer to.

The green girl approached the teenager. "I, Princess Elphaba Diggs, Crown Princess and Heir of Oz –"

"I love it when she uses her regal voice," Fiyero whispered in awe. "And her title."

"Banish Ozma to the maximum security wing of the Southstairs prison, where she is to live for the remainder of her life for her crimes against Oz and against His Supreme Ozness, who I reclaim the throne for. Guards, please take her away!"

They paused, clearly not knowing if they should or not.

"She won't hurt you. She no longer has her magic."

They still hesitated.

"Do as she says!" Oscar boomed.

All three snapped to attention, muscle memory taking over at the familiar voice. "Yes, Your Ozness!"

"Don't remove her chains," Elphaba said, watching as they led her away, the chains rattling against the floor. "But don't chain her to the walls."

"Glad to see you're not completely heartless," Ozma sneered.

"I let you live, didn't I?"

"Only because you're weak!" Ozma shouted back as the door closed behind the guards. Elphaba took a deep breath and sighed.

"How do you feel, Nova?" Oscar asked.

"A lot better than I probably would've felt if I killed her," she said. "Though, I'm still exhausted. I need a nap."

"I'll walk with you," Fiyero offered, though he left little room for argument as he led her out.

"I'll let the Amalie and Raal know that everything's fine now," Oscar said, watching as the younger couple left. They were only gone for a few moments before he heard Fiyero's voice exclaim, "You enchanted a broom to fly?!" from up the stairs.

As Elphaba quickly dozed off (in her old bedroom, which was thankfully left mostly intact), her drifting thoughts were filled with the events of the past few hours and where they would go from there. They had a ways to go before things would return to normal. The country just had the biggest two-way power shuffle it could possibly handle, and times were very shifty.

But she knew that in the long run, everything would work out… somehow. She suddenly sat up when she remembered something.

She had to go back to Shiz the following week.

* * *

 **The next chapter is the final chapter!**


	24. Starting Out On Our Journey

**Here we are! The final chapter!**

* * *

"Come on, Fabala! Hurry up! We're gonna be late for our very first class!"

Elphaba hurried around the room, looking for her other boot. Finding it, she quickly slipped her foot inside and tied the laces. "They can't start without me. I'm the princess!"

"And if this were a state dinner, the proper protocol would be to let everyone's food get cold as they wait for you to tie your shoes. However, I'm pretty sure Professor Lannds isn't going to start 'The Intellect History of Capitalism' late because you want to make a grand entrance."

"I don't want to make a grand entrance. I want to draw as little attention to myself as humanly possible."

"How optimistic of you."

"Relax, Nessa. We have time. We won't be late."

"I want to get a good seat!"

Elphaba paused in reaching for her bag and glanced at her sister. Nessa shot her an 'I _wish_ you would comment on that' look and the green girl wordlessly stepped behind her sister's chair and pushed her out of their shared room.

Shiz University seemed like a new place now that they were in their second year. Of course, there was a noticeable, sad difference. In the absence of her old roommate and not wanting to be all alone in a private suite, Elphaba asked if Nessa wanted to room with her, and the brunette immediately agreed.

"May I ask you something?" Nessa asked as they traveled across campus.

"Sure, Nessie."

"What did you do with… The Grimmerie?"

"I destroyed it," Elphaba said simply.

"Define 'destroyed'."

"It's a book, there was a fire, and with a little extra magic and a strong enough spell, it made perfect kindling. That book is too powerful to be out in the world and we can't risk it falling into the wrong hands... again."

"But the ancient spells…"

"I've committed the important, _safer_ ones to memory. Writing them down was too risky."

"Oh. I see."

After their first class, the sisters parted ways until lunch. Fiyero and Boq joined them, but Elphaba couldn't help but notice the empty spot Galinda would have occupied. She knew feeling sad wouldn't do much help, but she honestly didn't know what else to feel. She had resumed her job in the library, which gave her more time to think, both a blessing and a curse.

"I drew you something," Fiyero said, handing Elphaba a piece of paper.

She took it and glanced down. "What is it?"

"Your very own floating giant head for when you become Queen of Oz. It looks just like your father's, but it's obviously _your_ head. Now, it's just a prototype, but I drew added features such as breathing fire, a voice-amplifier, and a bunch of other stuff."

Nessa and Boq snickered, but Elphaba just glanced down with a neutral, almost sad, expression.

"You don't like it?" Fiyero asked. "It was just a quick little thing, since I drew it during math class, but I'll give you a much better drawing after –"

"It's not that," Elphaba sighed. "It's just… a joke Galinda made right after I told her I was the Wizard's daughter. She asked me if I would have my own giant floating head."

"And what did you say?"

"I threw a pillow at her face."

"You didn't!" Nessa gasped through her laughter.

Elphaba smiled slightly. "I did."

"Does it still hurt?" Boq asked gently. "To… talk about her… I mean."

"It hurts a little, but I feel a bit better after I do. It's just… hard sometimes."

"We understand, Fabala. We were all friends with Galinda, but no one was as close to her as you," Nessa said.

Elphaba looked back down at the picture. "Though, the idea of having a giant, floating head I can use to scare the living daylights out of everyone does sound like fun." And everyone joined in the laughter.

The first week back to classes seemed to breeze by for the small group, considering that they already knew what to expect. Elphaba received updates from her father about the progress rebuilding everything Ozma managed to destroy in only two weeks, which was surprisingly a lot.

Overall, the people of Oz were delighted to have their wonderful Wizard back in power and parties were thrown all across the country to celebrate. Elphaba wasn't in the partying mode and used the excuse that she had to focus on her studies. Only a very small group of people knew the real reason behind her lack of wanting to party, but no one spoke about it.

"I've been thinking…" Fiyero said softly as he played with his girlfriend's fingers. They had just finished a study session, which later turned into a make-out session, though neither of them protested.

"You have?" Elphaba asked, her head resting on his chest as she watched his hand dance over hers. "About what?"

"Where we were a year ago. I was dating Galinda, you barely spoke to me, and I was so worried about keeping up my 'dancing through life' image."

"The night we became friends, Galinda told me that she was going to marry you."

"She did?"

Elphaba nodded. "You didn't know yet, of course." She sighed. "Looking back, that was a great night."

"Your first party?"

"And the makeover. I never told her, but I secretly enjoyed it."

"You never told her?"

"You weren't the only one with an image to maintain. Imagine what would have happened if the campus found out the green girl likes makeovers."

Fiyero intertwined his fingers with hers. "It's nice to talk like this. Makes it… easier the more you do it."

"Yeah. It's like she's still here with us."

The prince brought her hand to his mouth and kissed her knuckles. "I think she is."

Elphaba closed her eyes. "I think she is, too."

"I can almost hear her encouraging me to kiss you, but then telling me to get a room."

"She practically planned our wedding."

"She did what?"

"Her parents found one of her old sketchbooks and sent it to me. Apparently, we're going to get married in the St. Aelphaba Cathedral in the biggest, and longest, ceremony ever. Her drawings also included copious details. I actually really liked the dress she drew for me. She made herself the maid of honor and her dress is hot pink with the bridesmaid's dresses a paler pink."

"What am I wearing?"

"A white suit with a green pocket flower. And you buy me a very expensive gold ring with a small emerald center."

"She thought of everything, didn't she?"

"And beyond. According to her, we have four children, three girls and a boy."

"Do these children have names?"

"She clearly didn't take into account the fact that maybe I think four is a bit much."

"Fae, what are their names?"

"Honestly, I don't remember, but the girls all share the middle name 'Galinda'. I'll show it to you. It makes me wish it could really happen."

"I'm sorry… makes you wish it _could_?"

"Yero, we just started our second year of university. We have more important things to think about than marriage and children. Plus, post-graduation… we'll all have to go our separate ways. Nessa will go back to Munchkinland, you'll go back to the Vinkus, and I'll go back to the Emerald City."

Fiyero frowned slightly. "We'll all be apart."

"I'll call monthly meetings so we can all get together. But my point is we'll all have to lead separate lives and get married and –"

"I can see Nessa marrying Boq," Fiyero interrupted, but Elphaba couldn't read his facial expression.

"I'll probably get talked into marrying an Ixian prince for political reasons or –"

"Me."

"You're not an Ixian prince, Yero."

"But I'm a prince, so that's gotta count for something."

"You're the crown prince of the Vinkus."

"And?"

" _And_ you'll have to rule _there_. And I'll have to rule everyone from the Emerald City."

"I may be the crown prince, but I'm not the only one in line for the throne."

Elphaba glanced up at him. "What are you…"

"I can't imagine my life without you, Fae. I love you, and I want to eventually marry you."

Elphaba was silent as she pushed herself into a seated position.

"Do you want to eventually marry me?" Fiyero asked, also sitting up.

"Yero, we're only in our –"

"Do you?"

"Yes, but Yero, things change."

"You're saying that you think our love will –"

"I don't want it to, but we have to remain realistic. I'm saying that it could."

"You don't have faith that it will last? After everything we've been through last year, I don't think anything could drive us apart."

"Fiyero, Galinda drew those pictures and made our wedding plans thinking she was going to be here to enforce them and threaten to turn all our clothes pink if we don't name the three girls she wants us to have after her. Before I came to Shiz, I knew I was only sent here to look after my sister. I had a clear set of rules and expectations. After I found out who my real father is, that changed everything. I want us to be together, forever if possible, but if there's one thing this past year has taught me, it's that life has a way of changing in a heartbeat. Plans can fall-through."

"And does that mean you should stop making them?"

"It would save a lot of heartache. Sometimes…"

"Yes?"

"I wonder what would've happened if I never received that invitation from the Wizard."

"You wouldn't be happy."

"Happy?"

"After you began spending time with the Wizard, I began to see a lighter side of you. Your rough edges softened. You smiled and laughed more. You let Galinda style your hair to show off its beautiful length and convince you to wear your glasses less and your contacts more."

"'Letting' Galinda do anything is a pretty strong verb. And she'd still be alive today."

"You wouldn't have gotten that 'loving father' figure you craved and deserved."

Elphaba was silent for a moment. Fiyero laid back and gently pulled her with him. "Would you really abdicate to marry me?" she asked after a while.

"In a heartbeat."

"Who would take over?"

"Timunah's older by ten minutes. It's been a few generations since the Vinkus had a queen ascend to the throne in her own right. Plus, I'll be standing beside my smart, kind, gorgeous queen as she governs all of Oz with a fair and just hand and is adored by all. I think my parents would consider it an upgrade."

"Are you just saying all that to lower the Vinkun tariffs?"

"Of course not," Fiyero said, kissing her forehead. "But since you brought it up –"

"When you tell your parents, I think you should start with that."

"The lower tariffs?"

"That you'll be my king and rule beside me with a fair and just hand and be adored by all."

"And the lower tariffs?"

Elphaba chuckled and kissed him. "I'll think about it."

* * *

 _11 Months Later…_

Fiyero was out of breath by the time he reached the top of the staircase. He really had to get in shape. He paused a moment to catch his breath before opening the door to the observatory.

He walked over to Elphaba, who was standing on the balcony, and gently wrapped his arms around her.

"It'll be fine," he whispered, kissing her forehead. "You look beautiful."

"Thank you, though that's not why I'm hiding up here," Elphaba whispered back.

"I thought you said this wasn't your hiding place."

"I just… needed some fresh air for a bit before I get swamped by fancy dignitaries."

Fiyero nodded. "I'm thinking about last year, too, Fae."

She looked at him. "Is it that obvious?"

"I know you very well."

"I shouldn't be scared or worried. I know Ozma is locked up in the Southstairs and doesn't have any magic, but it still doesn't change the fact that she changed all our lives."

The prince rested his chin atop Elphaba's head, silently watching the sky. "The constellation next to Preenella's Bow… is that The Rose?" he asked, pointing to a constellation above their heads.

Elphaba nodded. "It is."

"It looks just like your flower," he smiled, looking at the pink rose clip on the back of her head.

Elphaba usually didn't wear the flower clip Galinda gave her the night they became friends, not fully believing the 'pink goes good with green' mantra. But she believed this was a special enough occasion to bring it back. Plus, it made her feel like her best friend was still with her. "Most roses look alike, Yero."

"What's the process to rename a constellation?"

"Rename it? To what?"

"Galinda's Rose. I think it's fitting. It'll keep her memory alive."

Elphaba smiled. "I love that idea."

"And I don't mind that she'll get her own constellation before me."

"I already told you about that turtle."

"I was hoping for something more along the lines of a lion or eagle. Something majestic and kingly."

Elphaba laughed and pressed her lips against her boyfriend's. "Then it looks like I'll have to declare the turtle the most majestic and kingly animal in Oz."

"You'd do that for me?"

"I'd do anything for you, Yero."

As much as Fiyero wanted to stay up here in the peaceful quiet with his girlfriend, there was a party downstairs and he knew if they didn't go down soon, a search party would probably be sent out. "Are you ready to go down?"

"Yeah. I guess we can't keep them waiting any longer."

He bowed deeply. "Your Royal Highness."

She curtsied in return. "Prince Fiyero."

The two headed out, hand in hand, of the throne room, but Elphaba stopped in the doorway.

"Fae?" Fiyero blinked. "What it is?"

Elphaba turned around, feeling someone else with them, but no one was there. "Nothing. Let's go."

They walked out, closing the door behind them, unaware of the spirit who had witnessed their entire conversation.

"Thank you, Elphie," the blonde whispered before slowly disappearing.

FIN!

* * *

 **Well, that's the end! Thank you all for coming with me on this journey! I really appreciate all the follows, favorites, and reviews!**


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